Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents apprehended a Florida resident on Wednesday, charging him with plotting to detonate a bomb at the New York Stock Exchange. The alleged plan aimed to disrupt the U.S. government.
Harun Abdul-Malik Yener, a 30-year-old from Coral Springs, faces charges of attempting to use explosives to destroy a building involved in interstate commerce.
The FBI’s investigation into Yener, initiated in February following a tip about bomb-making materials in his storage unit, uncovered bomb-making diagrams, numerous timer watches, electronic circuit boards, and other components potentially used in explosive device construction. The FBI also discovered online searches related to bomb-making dating back to 2017.
Yener reportedly told undercover FBI agents of his intention to detonate the bomb before Thanksgiving, targeting the lower Manhattan stock exchange for its symbolic impact.
Court documents quote Yener as stating, “The Stock Exchange, we want to hit that, because it will wake people up.”
According to court documents, Yener, described as homeless, sought to “reboot” the U.S. government through the bombing, believing the explosion would be “like a small nuke went off,” causing significant casualties.
Court documents indicate that within the past month, he modified two-way radios to function as remote detonators and planned to wear a disguise while planting the explosives.
Yener appeared in court Wednesday afternoon and remains in custody pending trial.
Court documents reveal a history of threats and online activity, including videos posted on a YouTube channel demonstrating the construction of explosives and fireworks from household materials. He was dismissed from a Coconut Creek restaurant last year after allegedly threatening violence.
Court records also indicate that he attempted to join the “Boogaloo Bois” and Proud Boys extremist groups, but was rejected due to his expressed desire for “martyrdom.”
The website CourtWatch initially reported the news.
Attempts to contact Harun Abdul-Malik Yener using publicly available phone numbers were unsuccessful, and no lawyer is listed in court records.
