(TLP:CLEAR) Former National Guard Member Reportedly Plotted to Attack a U.S. Military Base on Behalf of the Islamic State, Highlighting the Persisting Threat of Extremist Targeted Violence

Summary: Last week, a former member of the Army National Guard was arrested after he allegedly attempted to carry out a plan to conduct a mass-shooting at a U.S. military base in Michigan, on behalf of the Islamic State. This foiled plot highlights the influence that geopolitical conflicts and emerging technologies can have on extremist targeted violence.

Analyst Note: According to court documents, starting in the summer of 2024, the alleged homegrown violent extremist (HVE) communicated online with two undercover law enforcement officers of a plan he had devised to conduct a mass-shooting at a U.S. Army base in Michigan. From the summer 2024 until the spring of 2025, the HVE communicated his desire to attack the military base and his ideological devotion to the Islamic State. In April 2025, the undercover officers told the HVE they intended to carry out his plan at the direction of the Islamic State.

In response, the HVE provided material assistance to the attack plan, including providing armor-piercing ammunition and magazines for the attack, flying his drone over the military base to conduct operational reconnaissance to identify vulnerabilities and entry points, 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 the military base and which buildings to target. On May 13 – the scheduled day of the attack – the HVE was arrested after he traveled to an area near the military base and launched his drone in support of the attack plan.

The HVE is the fourth individual detained for involvement with the Islamic State this year, underscoring the foreign terrorist group’s resiliency. The HVE is also the second veteran to be implicated in a domestic terror attack, the other attack occurred in January 2025 on New Year’s Day, in which 14 people were killed. This plot highlights the significant influence geopolitical conflicts and emerging technologies can have on extremist targeted violence. The HVE reportedly said he was motivated to carry out the attack, in part, due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. In addition, the reported use of a drone to help plan and facilitate the attack highlights how drones when paired with dedicated attackers can significantly increase the lethality of a targeted attack.

Original Source: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/michigan-man-arrested-and-charged-attempting-attack-military-base-behalf-isis  

Additional Reading:

• Security Preparedness – Recent Reports Highlight the Growing Foreign Terrorist Threat
• Islamic State Is Evolving, But Has The World Taken Its Eyes Off The Ball?
• (TLP:AMBER) Government Reports Highlight the Persisting Threat to the U.S. from Sunni Violent Extremists

Mitigation Recommendation:

• US Violent Extremist Mobilization Indicators 2021 Edition
• CISA – Personal Security Considerations Action Guide
• (TLP:AMBER) Gate 15 Threat Awareness & Resilience Guidance Report: Drones, Violent Extremists, & Critical Infrastructure

Related WaterISAC PIRs: 1 & 2