U.S. authorities have arrested five self-described anarchists in Cleveland for allegedly plotting to blow up a bridge, the U.S. Justice Department said today.
Officials said the suspects were not linked to any foreign terror group and were being monitored as part of an undercover FBI operation.
The group initially came under scrutiny by authorities in October 2011 when the FBI learned that some self-described anarchists planned to attend a protest in Cleveland, according to an FBI affidavit unsealed on Tuesday. An FBI informant saw four of the men going through the crowd expressing displeasure at demonstrators' unwillingness to engage in violent acts. The men wore masks and carried walkie-talkies, according to the affidavit.
Over the next several months, some of the men discussed coming to Chicago for what at that time was scheduled to be back-to-back meetings of the G-8 and NATO leaders in mid-May, according to the federal criminal complaint. The G-8 meeting of government financial leaders was later rescheduled for Camp David, Md., but the NATO summit of leaders from around the world is set for May 20-21 in Chicago.
According to the complaint, one of the defendants used broad and boastful language to predict anarchists would wreak havoc in Cleveland as a prelude to disrupting Chicago during the summit, saying the goal was to spread rioting and destruction in every major city.
According to the affidavit, Wright (who described himself to an FBI source as an anarchist of long standing) had recruited other young men to his circle who were planning to set off smoke bombs at a bridge in Cleveland as a diversion while they brought down the signs atop buildings in the city. The complaint said while the group had not figured out how they would demolish the signs, according to Wright, "the signs are the most important part [of the plan] because they need to make sure everyone knows that the action was against corporate America and the financial system, and not just some random acts."
Wright also allegedly complained to the FBI source that "there were not enough anarchists in Cleveland to do what he wanted to do."
An undercover employee who has worked with the FBI for 15 was cited in the affidavit, as was a "confidential human source" (CHS) who reported on the group's meetings. The complaint notes that the CHS has a criminal record, including convictions for cocaine possession, robbery and passing bad checks. Since July 20, 2011, when the source began working with the FBI, the agency paid this source more than $6,000 for services and expenses.
The CHS said that Wright offered to show him how to construct smoke bombs, based on recipes from "The Anarchist Cookbook," and was looking to purchase a retractable baton at a gun show or Army-Navy surplus store.
In a meeting in April 2012 the group was still unclear on the target bridge. According to the CHS, Baxter said taking out a bridge "was a good plan, but he did not know how the general public would take it, and he did not think the media would portray that in a good way."
Baxter claimed to have acquired eight pounds of C-4 explosive, and suggested they look for a neo-Nazi or Klan headquarters in Ohio to blow up. Wright suggested blowing up a Federal Reserve bank with a car bomb. He also allegedly said he would consider wearing a suicide vest but would have to be "very drunk" to go through with it.
Officials said the suspects were not linked to any foreign terror group and were being monitored as part of an undercover FBI operation.
The group initially came under scrutiny by authorities in October 2011 when the FBI learned that some self-described anarchists planned to attend a protest in Cleveland, according to an FBI affidavit unsealed on Tuesday. An FBI informant saw four of the men going through the crowd expressing displeasure at demonstrators' unwillingness to engage in violent acts. The men wore masks and carried walkie-talkies, according to the affidavit.
Over the next several months, some of the men discussed coming to Chicago for what at that time was scheduled to be back-to-back meetings of the G-8 and NATO leaders in mid-May, according to the federal criminal complaint. The G-8 meeting of government financial leaders was later rescheduled for Camp David, Md., but the NATO summit of leaders from around the world is set for May 20-21 in Chicago.
According to the complaint, one of the defendants used broad and boastful language to predict anarchists would wreak havoc in Cleveland as a prelude to disrupting Chicago during the summit, saying the goal was to spread rioting and destruction in every major city.
According to the affidavit, Wright (who described himself to an FBI source as an anarchist of long standing) had recruited other young men to his circle who were planning to set off smoke bombs at a bridge in Cleveland as a diversion while they brought down the signs atop buildings in the city. The complaint said while the group had not figured out how they would demolish the signs, according to Wright, "the signs are the most important part [of the plan] because they need to make sure everyone knows that the action was against corporate America and the financial system, and not just some random acts."
Wright also allegedly complained to the FBI source that "there were not enough anarchists in Cleveland to do what he wanted to do."
An undercover employee who has worked with the FBI for 15 was cited in the affidavit, as was a "confidential human source" (CHS) who reported on the group's meetings. The complaint notes that the CHS has a criminal record, including convictions for cocaine possession, robbery and passing bad checks. Since July 20, 2011, when the source began working with the FBI, the agency paid this source more than $6,000 for services and expenses.
The CHS said that Wright offered to show him how to construct smoke bombs, based on recipes from "The Anarchist Cookbook," and was looking to purchase a retractable baton at a gun show or Army-Navy surplus store.
In a meeting in April 2012 the group was still unclear on the target bridge. According to the CHS, Baxter said taking out a bridge "was a good plan, but he did not know how the general public would take it, and he did not think the media would portray that in a good way."
Baxter claimed to have acquired eight pounds of C-4 explosive, and suggested they look for a neo-Nazi or Klan headquarters in Ohio to blow up. Wright suggested blowing up a Federal Reserve bank with a car bomb. He also allegedly said he would consider wearing a suicide vest but would have to be "very drunk" to go through with it.
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