It was only days ago that a man was arrested in an FBI sting in which he allegedly plotted to blow up a van full of explosives at a Christmas tree-lighting ceremony in Portland, Ore.
Now, the FBI has arrested a Baltimore man in a similar sting. Authorities say that Antonio Martinez, also known as Muhammad Hussain, tried to detonate what he believed was a bomb in a vehicle outside a military recruitment facility in Catonsville, Md.
Court records say Hussain wanted to “instill fear” in anyone who might join the U.S. military. He also told an FBI informant that he hoped to join radical Muslim forces in Afghanistan or Pakistan, federal authorities said. They said he praised the earlier killings of 13 soldiers and civilians at Fort Hood in Texas. An Army major suspected of being a radical Muslim is accused in the Fort Hood attack.
In the plot against the recruitment center, Hussain faces charges of attempted murder of federal employees and attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction against U.S. property.
The FBI said he was monitored throughout the sting to protect the public. Authorities said he had multiple opportunities to step back from the plot but, sadly, wanted to proceed. Now, if he is found guilty, he should get the maximum sentence permitted by law.