DALLAS, TX—
A 19-year-old man was arrested this afternoon as he attempted to destroy a skyscraper in downtown Dallas with a car bomb, federal officials said.Hosam Maher Husein Smadi, of Italy, Texas, was arrested by FBI agencies near the Fountain Place, located at 1445 Ross Avenue, after he placed an inactive car bomb by the location.
Smadi, a Jordanian citizen, was in the United States illegally. He is being held in a federal prison.
In an affidavit released this afternoon, Smadi said he was acting as a soldier for Usama Bin Laden and al-Qaida to conduct a violent jihad.
Smadi will make his initial appearance at 11 a.m. Friday in U.S. District Court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma C. Ramirez.
More information to follow.
