Coeur d’Alene, Idaho – An 18-year-old from Idaho was arrested by the FBI for plotting a violent attack on churches in Coeur d’Alene over the weekend on behalf of ISIS, the Justice Department revealed. Alexander Mercurio now faces a federal charge of attempting to support a foreign terrorist organization after planning an attack in the northern Idaho resort city on Sunday.
According to FBI Director Christopher Wray, Mercurio pledged loyalty to ISIS and aimed to target people attending churches in Idaho. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force discovered and thwarted his plan, which involved incapacitating his father, stealing firearms, and using them for maximum casualties in the attack.
Attorney General Merrick Garland affirmed the Justice Department’s commitment to pursue and hold accountable those planning acts of terrorism against the United States. The investigation into Mercurio began when he expressed support for ISIS and other terrorist organizations online, reaching out to confidential human sources.
A criminal complaint outlined Mercurio’s spreading of ISIS propaganda, solicitation of ISIS involvement in his efforts, and planning to support ISIS financially. The plan involved using various weapons, explosives, knives, a machete, and firearms, with Mercurio identifying a specific church and date for the attack.
On Saturday, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Mercurio’s residence, where they found items linked to the plot, including a metal pipe, a black Smith and Wesson fixed blade knife, and a machete. Mercurio made a ba’yah statement, pledging allegiance to ISIS and expressing his intention to die while killing others on behalf of the terrorist group.
If convicted on the federal charge, Mercurio faces up to 20 years in federal prison. The case highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement agencies to prevent terrorist attacks and protect the safety and security of communities in the United States.