News about the attempted terror attack that took place in New York over the weekend keeps coming. We learned about the families of Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, and Emir Balat, 18 earlier. Kayumi's parents own a 5,800 square foot home in Pennsylvania and are naturalized citizens from Afghanistan while Balat's parents come from Turkey and they were naturalized in 2017.
Now we know what charges the pair are facing, and we're learning of a startling admission about their intent. First, we'll get to the charges.
According to CNN, Kayumi and Balat are both facing charges of providing material support to a terrorist organization and using a weapon of mass destruction.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department will not allow ISIS to threaten Americans.
We have charged the two alleged ISIS-inspired terrorists who attempted to bomb a protest in New York City.
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) March 9, 2026
We will not allow ISIS’s poisonous, anti-American ideology to threaten this nation. Our law enforcement officers will remain vigilant. pic.twitter.com/4QMOrOvGhG
And here's more from Fox News, who said the pair will appear in federal court today. Images of the homemade bombs were shared, too, showing them containing screws, nuts, and oblts.
🚨 BREAKING: DOJ has OFFICIALLY charged the Muslim who threw a bomb at anti-Islam protestors with MULTIPLE terror-related charges, per AG Bondi
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) March 9, 2026
New photos have also been released showing the inside of his homemade bombs, which luckily failed to detonate pic.twitter.com/g85DJK3AyI
Fox News also shared details of the complaint: "More specifically, Balat wrote on a piece of paper that he 'pledge[d] allegiance to the Islamic state' and Kayumi stated, in substance and in part, that he was affiliated with ISIS; watched ISIS propaganda on his phone; and was partly inspired to carry out his actions that day by ISIS."
But it gets even scarier. Balat and Kayumi wanted their attack to be even deadlier than the Boston Marathon bombing that happened on April 15, 2013.
BREAKING: Emir Balat told cops that he wanted Saturday's attack to be more deadly than the Boston Marathon bombing, federal complaint alleges.
— Craig McCarthy (@createcraig) March 9, 2026
"No, even bigger. It was only three deaths.” pic.twitter.com/5FLOkXJTxo
The federal complaint says, "Law enforcement officers later asked Balat if he was familiar with the Boston Marathon bombing, and if that was what Balat had hoped to accomplish. Balat responded: 'No, even bigger. It was only three deaths.'"
That complaint also contains photos of Balat allegedly holding the lit IED before throwing it into the crowd.
The complaint contains photos of Balat allegedly holding the lit IED pic.twitter.com/CaDj6CxIkY
— Craig McCarthy (@createcraig) March 9, 2026
That is absolutely terrifying. We remember the Boston Marathon bombing and the horrific images of the injured. Three people — eight-year-old Martin Richard, 23-year-old Lu Lingzi, and 29-year-old Krystle Campbell were killed in that bombing and more than 250 others were injured.
This is also a reminder that Democrats have shut down the Department of Homeland Security while they push to defund DHS and ICE.
We must always remain vigilant against the threat of ISIS-inspired radical Islamic terrorism.
— Chuck Fleischmann (@RepChuck) March 9, 2026
Yesterday's attempted bombing in New York City underscores the need to fully fund Homeland Security and end the Democrat DHS Shutdown before innocent Americans are killed. https://t.co/o0WlypvcEN
This is now the second terrorist attack in the U.S. since the start of Operation Epic Fury. In Austin, Texas, a Senegalese immigrant named Ndiaga Diagne opened fire at a bar in the city, killing two and wounding several more. Diagne was killed by law enforcement, and was wearing a "Property of Allah" sweatshirt with an Iranian flag t-shirt underneath.
Editor's Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.
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