"New Year Attack 2026” plot foiled in the US, FBI arrests ISIS supporter
Washington (The Uttam Hindu): US federal and local agencies foiled a major terror plot planned for New Year’s Eve, preventing a possible attack in the country. According to the US Department of Justice, an 18-year-old youth from North Carolina has been arrested for allegedly planning a violent attack. Investigators said the accused was a supporter of the Islamic State (ISIS).
The arrested youth has been identified as Christian Sturdivent. Authorities said he was planning to kill multiple people using a knife and a hammer at a grocery store and a fast-food restaurant on December 31. A criminal complaint against him was filed on December 31 and later made public after his appearance in a federal court in Charlotte, North Carolina.
US Attorney General Pamela Bondi said strong coordination between federal and local law enforcement agencies helped save lives by stopping a dangerous terror attack on New Year’s Eve. She added that anyone involved in planning such heinous acts would face the full force of the law.
FBI Director Kash Patel stated that Sturdivent allegedly considered himself an ISIS soldier and intended to carry out a violent attack in support of the terror group on New Year’s Eve. However, the FBI and its partners intervened in time and stopped the plan.
According to the arrest affidavit, the FBI received information on December 18 that Sturdivent was posting ISIS-supporting content on social media. Earlier in December, he had shared an image with a message cursing “cross worshippers,” which investigators said matched ISIS language and ideology.
The complaint further said that from December 12, he was in contact with an online individual he believed to be an ISIS member, but who was actually an FBI undercover agent. In messages, he wrote that he would soon carry out jihad and described himself as a soldier. On December 14, he sent images of two hammers and a knife. The Justice Department noted that an ISIS propaganda magazine published in 2016 encouraged knife attacks in Western countries.
On December 19, Sturdivent allegedly sent a voice message pledging allegiance to ISIS. He later discussed targeting a specific grocery store in North Carolina and shared plans to purchase weapons for the attack.
During a search of his residence on December 29, authorities recovered handwritten notes. One note was titled “New Year Attack 2026” and listed items such as masks, vests, tactical gloves, and knives. Christian Sturdivent is currently in federal custody and could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.