Two Detroit men have been federally charged with plotting to commit a terror attack in Ferndale, Michigan, over Halloween weekend.
A criminal complaint filed on Monday against Mohmed Ali and Majed Mahmoud, both 20, accuses them of planning to use AR-style rifles, shotguns, and handguns to commit terror and provide support to ISIS.
“[T]he defendants discussed an actual plan to carry out an attack, provided a date and ‘sought guidance from the father of a local Islamic extremist ideologue as to when to conduct their attack,'” the Detroit Free Press reported, quoting from an FBI agent’s report.
The two reportedly discussed committing the attack on what they termed “Pumpkin Day,” a reference presumably to Halloween.
BREAKING: Suspects identified in alleged Dearborn, Michigan, terror plot; Mohmed Ali and Majed Mahmoud accused of stockpiling weapons for ISIS-inspired attack, according to FBI affidavit pic.twitter.com/5HWD4oQ2UD
— Fox News (@FoxNews) November 3, 2025
According to the FBI, the two were part of a larger group of ISIS adherents who, besides buying weapons and planning terror attacks, also held gun-training exercises and scouted out potential terror targets.
“The area in Ferndale to which [they traveled in September] includes numerous bars and restaurants, including three bars/clubs identified by the FBI based on this data,” the complaint against the two reads.
“All three of these clubs are located on Woodward Avenue near East Nine Mile. Many of the clubs and bars in this area intentionally attract members of the LGBTQ+ community,” the complaint continues.
FBI Special Agent Nicholas Czech wrote an affidavit attached to the complaint arguing that their visits to these gay bars were terror-related.
“Given that [they] are all under twenty-one years old and based on what I have learned during this investigation, I believe it is unlikely [they] would have traveled to this area at this time to patronize these clubs or drink alcohol,” Czech wrote.
Mohmed Ali and Majed Mahmoud charged federally with conspiring to commit an act of terr*rism in Michigan.
They were arrested Friday and the federal complaint was filed in court on Monday. They allegedly planned attacks in Ferndale.
They’re accused of acting on behalf of ISIS. pic.twitter.com/4LgCjrjsdX
— Paul A. Szypula (@Bubblebathgirl) November 3, 2025
The investigation into the defendants reportedly began a year ago and included an undercover informant who recorded their conversations.
The investigation was preceded by Customs and Border Protection agents stopping and searching a Dearborn man on Aug. 20, 2024, after he returned from an overseas visit.
“The man’s cell phone raised red flags,” the Free Press noted. “[A]gents found Google searches related to ‘ISIS’ and the ‘Islamic State’ and photos of him wearing military-style clothing with weapons.”
The FBI soon after launched an investigation of its own and deployed the undercover informant to chat with the Dearborn man and his allies through an encrypted group chat messaging/talking app.
By investigating the Dearborn man, the FBI over time learned of Ali and Mahmoud and their own sinister plans for terror.
The FBI stopped a massacre before it could happen.
Two Michigan men planned an ISIS-inspired Halloween terror attack near Detroit- stockpiling weapons, scouting targets, and training at gun ranges.
This FBI acted fast, followed the evidence, and likely saved countless lives. pic.twitter.com/IHYga46Ynt
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) November 3, 2025
The chat participants wrote of the two men that the “brothers … are planning to conduct a terrorist attack in the United States on behalf of the designated foreign terrorist organization … ISIS,” as recalled in the official complaint against the two terror suspects.
Additional evidence against the pair includes the fact that, in addition to buying guns and ammo, Ali also bought a specialized gun sight “built for close-quarter engagements with fast-moving targets.”
“Based on my experience and training … and research into historical mass shootings and terrorist attacks, I know that attackers often seek to gain tactical advantages over their targets and victims,” Czech wrote in his affidavit that was attached to the wider complaint.
Other items Ali bought included an AR-15 style rifle and a forced reset trigger that reportedly allows the shooter to increase the rate of fire in a semiautomatic weapon.
During a purchase spree of his own, Mahmoud bought an AR-15 style rifle, gun accessories, and 1,600 rounds of ammunition.
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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