Current:Home > MyJordanian citizen charged for attacking Florida energy plant, threats condemning Israel -Core Financial Strategies
Jordanian citizen charged for attacking Florida energy plant, threats condemning Israel
View
Date:2025-04-14 09:21:57
A Jordanian citizen residing in Florida was arrested for targeting and attacking businesses, including an energy facility, for their perceived support for Israel, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday.
Beginning in June, Hashem Younis Hashem Hnaihen, 43, began targeting various businesses in the Orlando, Florida, area, smashing glass doors and leaving behind "Warning Letters," the Justice Department said, citing court records. He was charged with four counts of threatening to use explosives and one count of destruction of an energy facility.
"Such acts and threats of violence, whether they are targeting the places that Americans frequent every day or our country’s critical infrastructure, are extremely dangerous and will not be tolerated by the Justice Department," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.
Hnaihen is being held pending trial, the Justice Department confirmed. If convicted, he could face a maximum of 10 years in prison for each of the four threat charges, and a maximum of 20 years for destroying an energy facility.
Hnaihen's public defender Aziza Hawthorne didn't immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment.
Court documents: Hnaihen broke into solar power facility farm in Florida
FBI Director Christopher Wray alleged that Hnaihen caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages when he allegedly broke into several businesses and attacked a power facility. Prosecutors say he broke into several businesses and left letters addressed to the United States government and said he would, "destroy or explode everything here in whole America. Especially the companies and factories that support the racist state of Israel."
Federal prosecutors said that Hnaihen escalated his threats and broke into a solar power generator facility farm in Wedgefield, Florida, and "systematically" destroyed a string of solar panels. He is accused of smashing panels, cutting wires, and targeting critical electronic equipment, causing more than $700,000 in damage.
Authorities identified Hnaihen and arrested him on July 11, shortly after discovering a letter that threatened to "destroy or explode everything" at an industrial propane gas distribution depot in Orlando.
Attacks on energy facilities in the U.S.
Hnaihen's alleged attack on the solar farm is the latest attack federal agencies have investigated as people previously carried out or plotted similar actions to inspire mass violence. In July, three men were sentenced to varying prison sentences for plotting to attack energy facilities in Idaho and other surrounding states to "advance their violent white supremacist ideology," Garland said then.
That same month, the FBI arrested a New Jersey man who was wanted in connection with a white supremacist plot to attack a power grid. According to federal prosecutors, Andrew Takhistov instructed an undercover law enforcement officer to destroy a New Jersey energy facility with Molotov cocktails while Takhistov fought in Ukraine.
The Department of Homeland Security has issued warnings that domestic extremists have been developing "credible, specific plans" since at least 2020 and would continue to "encourage physical attacks against electrical infrastructure." Industry experts, federal officials, and others have warned in one report after another since at least 1990 that the power grid was at risk, said Granger Morgan, an engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University.
One challenge is that there's no single entity whose responsibilities span the entire system, Morgan said. And the risks are only increasing as the grid expands to include renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, he said.
Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver and Grace Hauck, USA TODAY
Contact reporter Krystal Nurse at knurse@USATODAY.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter,@KrystalRNurse.
veryGood! (531)
Related
- California DMV apologizes for license plate that some say mocks Oct. 7 attack on Israel
- South Carolina basketball sets program record in 101-19 rout of Mississippi Valley State
- Police warn residents to stay indoors after extremely venomous green mamba snake escapes in the Netherlands
- Pakistani shopping mall blaze kills at least 10 people and injures more than 20
- DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
- Israel summons Spanish, Belgian ambassadors following criticism during visit to Rafah
- Jimmy Carter's last moments with Rosalynn Carter, his partner of almost eight decades
- Slovak leader calls the war between Russia and Ukraine a frozen conflict
- How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
- 4 injured during shooting in Memphis where 2 suspects fled on foot, police say
Ranking
- US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
- A newly formed alliance between coup-hit countries in Africa’s Sahel is seen as tool for legitimacy
- Beware! 'The Baddies' are here to scare your kids — and make them laugh
- Georgia high school baseball player in coma after batting cage accident
- The 401(k) millionaires club keeps growing. We'll tell you how to join.
- Russia launches largest drone attack on Ukraine since start of invasion, says Ukrainian military
- Too many schools are underperforming, top New Mexico education official says
- No. 7 Texas secures Big 12 title game appearance by crushing Texas Tech
Recommendation
SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
Jonathan Bailey’s Wicked Tease Will Have Fans Dancing Through Life
Gaza shrinks for Palestinians seeking refuge. 4 stories offer a glimpse into a diminished world
Eating out on Thanksgiving? You're not alone. Some Americans are opting not to cook
Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
FDA expands cantaloupe recall after salmonella infections double in a week
Jonathan Bailey’s Wicked Tease Will Have Fans Dancing Through Life
6-year-old Mississippi girl honored for rescue efforts after her mother had a stroke while driving