Melvindale Man Arrested and Charged with Attempting to Attack a Military Base on Behalf of ISIS

DETROIT - A Melvindale man – and former member of the Michigan Army National Guard – was arrested after he attempted to carry out a plan to conduct a mass-shooting at a U.S. military base in Warren, Michigan, on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a foreign terrorist organization. He is charged in a criminal complaint with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and distributing information related to a destructive device, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr.

Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Sue J. Bai, Chief of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Brig. Gen. Rhett R. Cox, Commanding General of Army Counterintelligence Command.

Charged was Ammar Abdulmajid-Mohamed Said, 19.

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 U.S. 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 ISIS. 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.

Yesterday – which was the scheduled day of the attack -- Said was arrested after he traveled to an area near TACOM and launched his drone in support of the attack plan. He will make his initial appearance in U.S. District Court this afternoon. The U.S. 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.         

“ISIS is a brutal terrorist organization which seeks to kill Americans. Helping ISIS or any other terrorist organization 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. 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,” said U.S. Attorney Gorgon.

“This defendant is charged with planning a deadly attack on a U.S. 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.”

“The FBI in Michigan is unwavering in our mission to safeguard the American people, particularly our brave service members who risk their lives to defend this nation,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “In strong partnership with the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command, the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force will relentlessly identify, disrupt, and bring to justice anyone who attempts to carry out violent attacks against the United States and its territories.”

"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."

Based on the charges in the complaint, Said faces up to 20 years in prison for each count if convicted.

A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Salzenstein, and John Cella and Charles Kovats, Trial Attorneys, Counterterrorism Section, United States Department of Justice.