Former US solider arrested in Michigan for allegedly planning attack on military base

US authorities have arrested a former member of the Michigan Army National Guard after he allegedly attempted to carry out a plan to conduct a mass shooting at a US military base in Warren, Michigan.

It is claimed that the suspect intended to carry out this attack on behalf of the Daesh, also known as Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Ammar Abdulmajid-Mohamed Said, 19, is reportedly a resident of Melvindale City. According to the Justice Department (DoJ) of the United States of America, he is charged in a criminal complaint with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organisation and distributing information related to a destructive device.

“This defendant is charged with planning a deadly attack on a US military base here at home for ISIS,” said Sue J Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Thanks to the tireless efforts of law enforcement, we foiled the attack before lives were lost. We will not hesitate to bring the full force of the Department to find and prosecute those who seek to harm our men and women in the military and to protect all Americans.”

“ISIS is a brutal terrorist organisation which seeks to kill Americans. Helping ISIS or any other terrorist organisation prepare or carry out acts of violence is not only a reprehensible crime – it is a threat to our entire nation and way of life,” said US Attorney Jerome F Gorgon Jr for the Eastern District of Michigan. “Our office will not tolerate such crimes or threats, and we will use the full weight of the law against anyone who engages in terrorism.”

“The defendant allegedly tried to carry out an attack on a military facility in support of ISIS, which was disrupted thanks to the good work of the FBI and our partners,” said Assistant Director Donald M Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “The FBI is steadfast in our commitment to detect and stop terrorist plans aimed at the American homeland or at US interests overseas.”

“The arrest of this former soldier is a sobering reminder of the importance of our counterintelligence efforts to identify and disrupt those who would seek to harm our nation,” said Brig Gen Rhett R Cox, the commanding general of Army Counterintelligence Command.

“I commend the tireless work of our special agents and FBI partners who worked together to investigate and apprehend this individual. We will continue to collaborate with our partners to prevent similar incidents in the future. We urge all soldiers to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to their chain of command, as the safety and security of our Army and our nation depends on our collective efforts to prevent insider threats,” he added.

According to the complaint, Said informed two undercover law enforcement officers of a plan he had devised and formulated to conduct a mass-shooting at the US Army’s Tank-Automotive & Armaments Command (TACOM) facility at the Detroit Arsenal in Warren, Michigan.

In April 2025, the two undercover officers indicated they intended to carry out Said’s plan at the direction of Daesh. In response, Said provided material assistance to the attack plan, including providing armor-piercing ammunition and magazines for the attack, flying his drone over TACOM to conduct operational reconnaissance, training the undercover employees on firearms and the construction of Molotov cocktails for use during the attack, and planning numerous details of the attack including how to enter TACOM and which building to target.

On May 13 – the scheduled day of the attack – Said was arrested after he travelled to an area near TACOM and launched his drone in support of the attack plan. He will make his initial court appearance later today in the Eastern District of Michigan.

The US Attorney’s Office will be asking the court to hold Said in pretrial detention because of his danger to the community and the risk that he will flee.

Based on the charges in the complaint, Said faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count if convicted.

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating the case. Though Said is arrested for attempting to attack military base, DoJ has clarified that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.