FBI says it thwarted apparent plot against AIPAC

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Hill

01/01/25 12:15 PM ET


The FBI thwarted an apparent plot to harm employees at a Florida office of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), according to court documents filed Monday. Law enforcement arrested Forrest Kendall Pemberton after he allegedly traveled to Plantation, Fla., in search of AIPAC’s office with several firearms, including an AR-15 rifle.

Pemberton told police he went to the site, a former AIPAC office, to “scout” out the location before returning with the firearms, according to an affidavit signed by FBI special agent Taylor Nicklin. He was intercepted in a ride-share vehicle carrying the guns on Dec. 25, the first night of Hanukkah.

While the court documents do not explicitly name AIPAC as the target, they described it as an organization that “advocates and lobbies for ‘pro-Israel policies that strengthen and expand the U.S.-Israel relationship” — phrasing featured on AIPAC’s website.

Pemberton’s father contacted law enforcement on Dec. 23 to notify them that his son had left home, leaving behind a letter saying he wanted to “close the loop,” “stoke the flames” and say “goodbye” to his family, according to the affidavit.

Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/5062271-fbi-says-it-thwarted-apparent-plot-against-aipac/

[pfitz59]

1. Given the events in NOLA

and other escalating protests......2025 is starting off strong. In a bad way.

[Dennis Donovan]

2. This is from the Guardian article:

Investigators who interviewed Pemberton the day after his arrest quote him in an FBI affidavit as saying he targeted the organization “because of its political influence” and due to his “frustration with the status quo”.

Asked if he planned to stage a mass casualty event followed by his own suicide, Pemberton reportedly answered: “I really don’t know if I was gonna end it with my life or not. I hadn’t gotten that far yet. It entirely depended if I ended up getting caught or not. If caught, that was a way out.”

He told them that he “ultimately decided against” taking “criminal action”.

The justice department documents says officers acted after receiving a tip off from Pemberton’s family who had found a note in he said he wanted to “close the loop”, “stoke the flames” and say “goodbye”. His father told investigators that he might be carrying an AR-15 rifle, a 9mm Luger pistol, and a Galil rifle with him, weapons matching those officers later found in his possession.

/snip

Thank God the family was paying attention and helped thwart this potential tragedy.

[sheshe2]

3. WTF is going on?!

[uncledad]

4. this

https://www.yenisafak.com/en/news/gaza-death-toll-passes-45550-as-israels-genocidal-war-continues-unabated-3696573

[sheshe2]

6. The link doesn't work...

It just says page unavailable.

[uncledad]

7. maybe this?

https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/15/middleeast/gaza-death-toll-40000-israel-war-intl/index.html

[Blue_Tires]

5. I wish they thwarted Donnie's plot against America

🙄

[Sessuch]

10. Too bad

[tonekat]

8. Let's streamline his plan

...and just keep the part about him committing suicide.

[chowder66]

9. More....

snip.....

Fears that he planned to assassinate a CEO

Pemberton’s father told the responding GPD officer that he believed his son was last home at about 11 a.m. on December 22 and that he realized he was gone at about 12:30 p.m. on December 23. Pemberton’s father was concerned that, based on the note and Google searches on his desktop computer (including searches for Blackrock, the World Economic Forum, and the CEOs of the Blackstone Group and Blackrock), he could do something similar to the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Family members reportedly described Pemberton as “socially awkward, anti-establishment, and anti-government” and said he owned several firearms. His search history also included the IRS; the Social Security Administration; AIPAC (American Israeli Public Affairs Committee; Irvington, AL with no specific address; an assassination technique involving poison and an umbrella; and “how to place a 2008 Ford F-150 in cruise control.” There was a also a search for a specific address in Plantation (the former office of AIPAC) and directions for a direct route from Pemberton’s home to that address; the organization has reportedly moved, but the address is still associated with AIPAC in Google Maps. Pemberton’s father said Forrest did not have any vehicles registered under his name, does not drive an F-150, and left the vehicle he drives at the house.

Pemberton’s family told the officer they believed several guns were missing from his room, including an AR-15-style rifle in a soft case, a 9mm Luger pistol, and a Galil rifle, along with his laptop.


https://alachuachronicle.com/gainesville-man-who-espoused-antisemitic-views-arrested-for-stalking-after-allegedly-plotting-to-attack-aipac-office-in-south-florida/