A Jordanian citizen has been arrested for making explosive threats and attacking an energy facility in Florida, allegedly motivated by the US government's support for the state of Israel.
Hashem Younis Hashem Hnaihen, 43, of Orlando, was charged Thursday with four counts of threatening to use explosives and one count of destroying an energy facility.
Prosecutors say that beginning in June, Hnaihen targeted businesses in the Orlando area “for their apparent support for the State of Israel.”
Wearing a mask and under cover of night, Hnaihen allegedly smashed glass doors at businesses and left “warning letters,” according to court documents.
The letters, addressed to the U.S. government, contained a series of political demands culminating in a threat to “destroy or blow up everything here in the United States. Especially businesses and factories that support the racist state of Israel,” according to the indictment.
Prosecutors say Hnaihen’s attacks later escalated. As law enforcement worked to identify the masked attacker, Hnaihen allegedly broke into a solar power generation facility in Wedgefield, Florida, and spent hours systematically destroying solar panels in late June.
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He is accused of smashing panels, cutting wires and attacking critical electronic equipment. Court documents indicate Hnaihen left two more copies of his threatening demand letter. Prosecutors believe Hnaihen caused more than $700,000 in damages.
The indictment includes a photograph of solar panels with broken glass and an aerial photograph of the solar panel field that Hnaihen allegedly attacked, with the targeted panel areas outlined in red. (Department of Justice)
Law enforcement identified Hnaihen after a “multi-agency effort” and arrested him on July 11, shortly after another “warning letter” was discovered threatening to “destroy or blow up everything” at an industrial propane gas distribution depot in Orlando.
“We assert that the defendant threatened to carry out hate-motivated acts of mass violence in our country, motivated in part by a desire to target businesses for their perceived support of Israel,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. “Such acts and threats of violence, whether targeting places Americans frequent every day or our country's critical infrastructure, are extremely dangerous and will not be tolerated by the Department of Justice.”
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If convicted, Hnaihen faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for each threatening charge and up to 20 years in federal prison for the destruction of an energy facility charge, said U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Roger Handberg.
The indictment includes photographs of the damage Hnaihen allegedly inflicted on two businesses. (Department of Justice)
At Thursday's detention hearing, Hnaihen was ordered held pending trial. The indictment also notifies Hnaihen that the United States intends to seize assets related to the crime.
“It is unacceptable to target businesses based on perceived beliefs,” Handberg said. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to federally investigate and prosecute those who make violent or hate-based threats and seek to act on them.”
“Under the guise of expressing his beliefs, the defendant allegedly attacked an electrical facility and threatened local businesses, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Violence and destruction of property to threaten and intimidate others will never be tolerated. The FBI and our partners will work together to pursue and hold accountable those who resort to violence.”
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The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Orange County Sheriff's Office, with valuable assistance from the Maitland Police Department, the Winter Park Police Department, and the Orlando Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Varadan is in charge of the prosecution.
The incident comes months after two Jordanian nationals who were in the United States illegally attempted to breach a Marine Corps base in Virginia in May.
As tensions rise in the Middle East, one expert recently told Fox News Digital that Jordan remains the “last bastion” as Iran sets its sights on transforming the country into Tehran's next major “terrorist front.”
Fox News' Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.
