(TLP:GREEN) Incident Report – Violent Extremist Targets Electric Substation in Nevada

Summary: Last week, a New York man drove his car through a secured perimeter gate at an electric substation in Boulder City, Nevada, in what law enforcement says was a targeted “terrorism-related event.” This attack underscores the continuing desire of violent extremists to target critical infrastructure in furtherance of their ideological goals.

Analyst Note: Although there was no significant damage to the substation’s critical components, and electrical service was not disrupted, the attack still highlights the physical security risk to critical infrastructure from violent extremists. The driver, a 23-year-old who had driven a rental car from New York, was found dead in the vehicle from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. He reportedly told his family members he wanted to get on the news and referred to himself as a “dead terrorist son.”

Police found multiple weapons and tactical gear in the vehicle, including shotguns, devices described as flamethrowers, ammunition, and body armor. While searching his hotel room, police found multiple books associated with various violent extremist ideologies, including white supremacy, anti-government sentiments, and both right- and left-wing extremism, suggesting that the attacker was motivated by a various mix of violent extremist ideologies. Police also found explosive materials, including thermite and ammonium nitrate. Additional searches of the attacker’s New York residence found more firearm components and a 3D printer. As of this writing, the investigation remains ongoing.

As WaterISAC has previously reported, the energy sector very likely remains the most targeted sector, with threats, plots, and attacks against electric infrastructure having significantly increased since at least 2019. Due to its interdependency with the water sector attacks disrupting the power grid would certainly produce cascading impacts to operations and services for water and wastewater utilities. With violent extremists continuing to encourage attacks against electric facilities, the threat of similar attacks remains a concern.

Original Sources:

• https://www.ktnv.com/news/police-fbi-investigate-attempted-attack-power-substation-near-boulder-city-what-we-know
• https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/20/us/nevada-counterterrorism-incident-investigation-fbi

Additional Reading:

• Road to radicalization: Nevada substation attack examined
• (TLP:AMBER+STRICT) E-ISAC Physical Security Report – Grid-Impacting Incidents (2023-2024)

Mitigation Recommendations:

• Infrastructure Survey Tool (IST)
• Protective Security Advisor Program
• Awareness of Violent Extremist Tactics To Defeat Physical Security Can Improve Response

Related WaterISAC PIRs: 1, 2, 3, & 4