NYC Bomb Suspects Radicalized by ISIS Following Middle Eastern Travel
Two teenage suspects arrested for throwing homemade explosives outside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's residence were radicalized by the Islamic State group and had recently returned from visits to Middle Eastern countries, federal law enforcement sources have confirmed.
Arrests and Radicalization Details
Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, and Emir Balat, 18, were taken into custody on Saturday after allegedly deploying improvised explosive devices during an anti-Muslim protest outside Gracie Mansion. Federal sources told Fox News Correspondent CB Cotton that both teens made pro-ISIS statements while in police custody and admitted to watching terrorist propaganda videos.
Investigators are examining the pair's overseas travel history, which includes trips to Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and other regions known as "terror training grounds." Kayumi spent multiple weeks in Istanbul during July and August 2024 and visited Saudi Arabia in March of the same year. Balat traveled to Turkey multiple times in the past year, with his most recent visit occurring in January.
FBI Raids on Pennsylvania Homes
FBI agents executed search warrants at the family homes of both suspects, located more than 100 miles away in wealthy Philadelphia suburbs. Footage from WCAU showed at least ten federal agents storming the $2.2 million Newtown residence where Kayumi lived, resulting in one man being detained at the property.
At Balat's $653,000 Langhorne home, WPVI reported that two men and a woman were taken into custody as FBI Evidence Response Team agents collected evidence and executed a search warrant. Both suspects are U.S. citizens whose parents became naturalized citizens—Kayumi's from Afghanistan in 2004 and 2009, and Balat's from Turkey in 2017.
Explosive Devices and Protest Details
The suspects are accused of handling and deploying two improvised explosive devices during a counter-protest against an anti-Muslim demonstration organized by far-right influencer Jake Lang. According to authorities, Balat allegedly lit and dropped an explosive near police officers around 12:30 PM, with the device extinguishing itself just steps from law enforcement personnel.
He then secured a second device from Kayumi and dropped it on East End Avenue between East 86th and 87th streets, though this device failed to ignite. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed on Sunday that the devices were genuine and could have caused fatal injuries if they had detonated properly.
Sources told CBS News that the IEDs consisted of sports drink bottles filled with triacetone triperoxide (TATP), a highly volatile explosive material. The containers were set inside glass jars wrapped in tape and surrounded by nuts, bolts, screws, and hobby fuses reportedly connected to M80-type fireworks.
Third Device Discovery and Investigation
A third explosive device was discovered in a vehicle on East End Avenue, approximately three blocks south of Gracie Mansion, on Sunday. Authorities ordered limited building evacuations and closed several streets as bomb squad personnel assessed and worked to safely remove the device.
Around 7 PM, police used a flatbed truck to remove a Honda Civic containing the device, after which streets were reopened. The device will undergo further testing as part of the ongoing investigation.
Protest Context and Additional Arrests
Tensions escalated during the Saturday protest around 12:15 PM after what had begun as a seemingly peaceful demonstration. Police reported that an individual from Lang's protest, identified as Ian McGinnis, 21, allegedly used pepper spray against liberal counter-protesters and was arrested before the teens attempted to set off explosives.
Three additional individuals were arrested for alleged disorderly conduct and traffic obstruction, though their identities have not been released. Mayor Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji, were not at home during the incident, and no injuries were reported.
Background of Protest Organizer
Jake Lang, the far-right influencer who organized the anti-Muslim protest, was among more than 1,500 Capitol riot defendants pardoned by President Donald Trump last year. Lang has previously described January 6, 2021 rioters as "an organized unit of patriots trying to take on tyrants."
Earlier this year, Lang organized a rally in Minneapolis supporting Trump's immigration policies, which drew angry counter-protesters who quickly chased him away from the event.
Federal charges against Kayumi and Balat remain pending, with prosecutors expecting the criminal complaint to be made public on Monday as the terror investigation continues to unfold.
