[Updated at 12:06 p.m. ET] Five men have been arrested on suspicion of trying to use what they thought were explosives to destroy a bridge near Cleveland, Ohio, the FBI said Tuesday morning.
Some of the men on Monday planted what they thought were two remotely activated C-4-based explosive devices – which they allegedly bought from an undercover FBI employee – at the base of a Route 82 bridge that crosses from Brecksville to Sagamore Hills over the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the FBI said in a news conference Tuesday.
The devices actually were inoperable and posed no threat to the public, and the FBI arrested the men shortly after the devices were planted, authorities said.
Douglas L. Wright, 26; Brandon L. Baxter, 20; and Anthony Hayne, 35, were arrested by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force on Monday evening on charges of conspiracy and attempted use of explosive materials to damage physical property affecting interstate commerce, the FBI said.
Also arrested were Connor C. Stevens, 20; and Joshua S. Stafford, 23. Their charges were pending.
Three of the men are self-proclaimed anarchists, the FBI said in a news release.
"The public was never in danger from explosive devices," the FBI said.
The group initially planned to "topple financial institution signs atop high rise buildings in downtown Cleveland" while co-conspirators used smoke grenades to distract law enforcement, according to the FBI. But the plot evolved into plans for using explosive to destroy bridges or other targets, and the group finally decided on the Brecksville-Northfield High Level Bridge, which carries Route 82 over the national park, the FBI said.
Some of the defendants, after they planted the devices, intended to detonate them from a remote location that they believed was safe and could provide them with an alibi, authorities said at Tuesday's news conference.
The FBI learned of the plots through a confidential source who met Wright at a Cleveland-area protest event in November, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. district court. Wright told the source that Wright and a group of anarchists "had been discussing plans involving violence and destruction to physical property ... to send a message to corporations and the United States government," the complaint reads.
“The complaint in this case alleges that the defendants took specific and defined actions to further a terrorist plot,” U.S. Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach said in the news release. “The defendants stand charged based not upon any words or beliefs they might espouse, but based upon their own plans and actions.”
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Really ...rusty old bridge ...NOT ...100.% cement. Built in 1931 and still works as with most US bridges. These guys just wanted to blow something up. Hang em high!
Thank you, FBI!
Anarchists are such stupid creatures.
cant wait to hear that these guys are or were part of the occupy movement
I'm guessing radical Lefists?
what difference does THAT make?
You only see what you want to see. Not sure how this turned into a political debate. But if it were my guess, I would say Tea Party!
actually if any of you knew anything about political philosophy anarchists are extreme right wingers
Good on ya FBI. First things first, lets neuter them as soon as they are processed so in the off case they beat the rap they cannot reproduce.
look white terrorists
Exactly. Bus since they are white–they aren't officially terrorists. Only bad guys.
Good to see that at least our justice system still works, and can now prevent attacks from the inside.
Another FBI devised and orchestrated entrapment plot. Good heavens, people open your minds..
I totally agree with you. As soon as I saw they bought the explosives from the FBI, BINGO!!!!! Muffer is clueless and is probably someone who needs to watch more than his favorite news channel. Like so many people, he needs to open his eyes.
Let me see if I get this right- The FBI told these guys to buy C-4 from them? and then told them to place in on the bridge, then told them to blow it up from a remote location. Now I see your right – the FBI wants to kill Americans.
Your not to bright
Before you start claiming entrapment, please look at the legal definition of entrapment, i.e. "The act of government agents or officials that induces a person to commit a crime he or she is not previously disposed to commit." These five devised the plan to blow the bridge up on their own and looked for the means to do so. There was no inducement by the FBI, therefore it was NOT entrapment.
I grew up not far from there, what a shame..
hope they spend the rest of their sorry lives behind bars.
Nice job FBI
Well there goes half of the Cleveland OWS crowd...
OWS?
You jest, surely. Anarchists are for NO government. Now ask yourself....which end of the political spectrum is crying about less government?
Oh, right...
YET ANOTHER lying conservative fool who can't accept facts
a combined IQ that is lower than bin laden's. Ha!
Why is the FBI enabling terrorists by giving them supplies and information?
The explosives weren't usable.
Uh, inoperable supplies and false info. It was a sting operation.