Woman in Her 30s Arrested for Plotting New York State Capitol Bombing After Pledging Allegiance to IS

A woman in her 30s has been arrested by U.S. federal authorities for pledging allegiance to the extremist terrorist group Islamic State (IS) and plotting to bomb the New York State Capitol.

According to U.S. daily newspapers including The New York Times (NYT) on the 20th (local time), federal prosecutors have charged Jessica Bowie, 35, with attempting to provide material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization designated by the United States.

Bowie, a resident of Albany, New York, was investigated for allegedly securing materials necessary for bomb-making to support IS and attempting to attack the New York State Capitol to assassinate state senators between July 16 and August 19.

It was revealed that she contacted Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) undercover informants posing as IS sympathizers to discuss the Capitol attack plan.

The FBI had identified Bowie as a potential threat through messages supporting the 9/11 attacks posted on social media and had been conducting a sting operation.

Bowie told the FBI informant that she had been seriously considering a Capitol attack for the past 4 to 6 months.

She also scouted the Capitol building at least five times since mid-July, photographing the building and surrounding facilities, and sent those photos to the informant.

She told the informants, "I want to destroy the building as much as possible and kill lawmakers in session," and "I want to do it in a way that I can escape on a plane after the crime."

On August 5, she met with FBI informants to discuss the bomb attack plan once again.

The informants explained the items needed to make a bomb and handed her 200 dollars, and Bowie purchased a container filled with nails and other items at a nearby Home Depot that same day.

She subsequently asked the informants to acquire a concealable firearm that she could use if approached by police.

Meeting with informants in a car on the 19th and receiving instructions on bomb manufacturing and detonating methods, she was arrested by the waiting FBI as she got out of the car.

The FBI found that Bowie left a voice message pledging allegiance to IS and also wrote a handwritten declaration.

However, it has not been confirmed whether she ever had direct contact with actual IS members.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul issued a statement saying there is currently no immediate threat and that security has been stepped up at the Capitol and other government buildings.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.