Suspected terrorist arrested after officials say he expressed support for ISIS

“We have taken a suspected terrorist off the streets of Houston, Texas,” said Douglas Williams Jr., a special agent in charge at the FBI.

Anas is accused of attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq, a terrorist organization also known as ISIS. Court documents show that Anas has praised ISIS’s violence and expressed a desire to carry out violent attacks in the United States.

“By his own admission, he is planning a terrorist attack on American soil from his apartment here in southwest Houston,” Williams Jr. said.

Said has been on the radar of the FBI Houston Joint Terrorism Task Force since 2017. Early research revealed that Said regularly consulted ISIS literature and attempted to create ISIS propaganda.

“He had a deep affinity with high-ranking ISIS personnel and even ordered customized propaganda to outwardly demonstrate his support for ISIS,” Williams Jr. said.

The FBI has discovered multiple social media accounts where they claim Said expressed his support for ISIS. They also said Said admitted to researching how to carry out an attack on military recruitment centers, offered his home as a refuge for ISIS operatives and wanted to use explosives to commit mass murder in Houston.

In 2017, the FBI received a tip that Anas had placed an order for two stickers showing support for ISIS, according to court documents. Documents show that Anas was interviewed four times between January and May 2018 in connection with the purchases. Anas claimed that he began to believe in ISIS ideology in 2015, after returning to the United States from Lebanon, where he lived with his family until 2014.

“He bragged that he would carry out a 9/11-style attack if only he had the resources,” Williams Jr. said.

Court documents show that Anas visited ISIS media websites. These documents stated that in October 2023, the FBI received information from Meta Platforms about 11 Facebook accounts used by Anas that indicated he continued to support ISIS. In February, the FBI executed a search warrant on Anas’ home, vehicle and electronic devices. The FBI interviewed Anas’ mother and brother separately and they expressed their concerns.

Last week, FBI agents arrested Anas. When he was confronted by officials, they said he forcibly threw away his cell phone to break it. After being Mirandized and agreeing to speak with agents, Anas detailed the level and extent of his support for ISIS. Officials said Anas admitted to creating, editing and using several programs to create ISIS propaganda.

“Those who conduct propaganda on behalf of a designated foreign terrorist organization pose a threat to national security,” said Alamdar S. Hamdani, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas.

If found guilty, Sai faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.