ISIS-affiliated Houston man charged in planned 9/11-style terrorist attack

U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani and FBI Special Agent Douglas Williams Jr. announced the details of the case during a press conference on Thursday.

Said was born in Houston, Hamdani said, but lived in Lebanon, where his family is from, until he was 14. He returned to the US about ten years ago.

Following the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, he was allegedly motivated to plan a terrorist attack on local military recruitment centers in Houston, provide a “sanctuary” for ISIS operatives from his Houston apartment, and boasted to have him commit murder. According to a multi-agency investigation, he said that if given the resources, he wanted to harm the Israeli community in Houston and planned to harm former President George W. Bush.

“Today is a great day because we took a suspected terrorist off the streets of Houston, Texas, and that’s something we don’t get to say publicly very often at the FBI,” Williams said. “Said was accused of attempting to provide material support to ISIS … and allegedly planning a terrorist attack on U.S. soil from his apartment here in southwest Houston.”

Said has been on the radar of the FBI and Houston’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) since 2017 under the Trump administration, Williams said. JTTF’s early investigation revealed that he regularly viewed ISIS literature and other online propaganda and “had a deep affinity for high-ranking ISIS personnel and even ordered customized propaganda to outwardly demonstrate his support for ISIS.”

FBI agents have interviewed him several times since he first came to their attention, but after the October 7 Hamas attacks, his behavior began to mobilize toward violence… and he rose to the top of our list of threats to national security rightly so, Williams said.

After law enforcement officials searched Said’s home, vehicle and electronic devices, they discovered additional ties between him and ISIS, including a plot to harm former President Bush, court documents show.

Investigators discovered multiple social media accounts that showed his continued support of ISIS and that he was “looking for ways to commit acts of violence in the United States… here in Houston,” Williams said. “He admitted that he had discussed how best to launch an attack on local military recruiting centers. He admitted to wanting to use explosives to commit mass murder here in Houston. He offered his house as a state refuge for ISIS operatives. He bragged that he would carry out a 9/11-style attack if only he had the resources. He expressed a desire to join the U.S. military so that he could commit an act once he found himself in their ranks.”

“JTTF partners prevented Sai’s plans from coming to fruition,” he said.

Describing ISIS’s violent acts, Hamdani explained that ISIS recruited followers through social media, which Said is alleged to have done.

Said allegedly communicated with the official ISIS media outlet, created ISIS propaganda videos and flyers, and edited at least five videos and two images that he then sent to an alleged ISIS social media and web designer, Hamdani said. The material was allegedly distributed to other ISIS supporters, including videos and images promoting ISIS violence. Still images from the videos were presented at the press conference.

Said also allegedly discussed in his messages “his desire to travel abroad to commit violent jihad and … commit acts of violence in Houston.” Documents show he was researching how to make a bomb and build an explosive belt, Hamdani said.

Said is charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, ISIS, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a fine of up to 250,000 years.

“Individuals or groups cannot use social media to provide material support to ISIS or other terrorist organizations,” Hamdani said. Those that do are considered threats to national security, he said. Hamdani also warned “wannabe terrorists who think they can hide behind encrypted apps or anonymous social media profiles… we will find you and we will hold you accountable.”

Said was arrested on November 8 and his detention hearing took place on Thursday afternoon.

The FBI Houston Joint Terrorism Task Force conducted the investigation and received assistance from the Houston and Sugar Land police departments and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

The case is being prosecuted by Hamdani’s office and lawyers from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Division.