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A man was arrested at John F Kennedy International Airport in New York Sunday afternoon for allegedly plotting to bomb a U.S. Embassy branch office in Israel.
Joseph Neumayer, a 28-year-old dual U.S. and German citizen, had his first court appearance on Sunday. According to a news release from the Justice Department, he traveled to Israel in April.
On May 19, he went to the office in Tel Aviv with a dark-colored backpack. He allegedly spat on an embassy guard as he walked past, officials said. As the guard tried to detain him, Neumayer broke free and left his backpack behind.
After searching the bag, authorities found incendiary devices, also known as Molotov cocktails, inside. Officials confirmed the presence of flammable fluid in the devices.
Police then tracked Neumayer to his hotel, where he was arrested.
The man’s social media account revealed that earlier in the day on May 19, he’d posted: “Join me as I burn down the embassy in Tel Aviv. Death to America, death to Americans, and f*** the west,” the release stated. Other social media posts from an account believed to belong to Neumayer further revealed he had threatened to assassinate President Donald Trump. On Sunday, Israeli authorities returned him to the U.S.
“This defendant is charged with planning a devastating attack targeting our embassy in Israel, threatening death to Americans, and President Trump’s life,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “The Department will not tolerate such violence and will prosecute this defendant to the fullest extent of the law.”
FBI Director Kash Patel added in a statement, “This despicable and violent behavior will not be tolerated at home or abroad, and the FBI, working with our partners, will bring him to face justice for his dangerous actions.”
If convicted, Neumeyer faces a maximum 20-year prison sentence and a maximum fine of $250,000.
Trump survived two assassination attempts during his re-election bid in 2024.
On July 13 his ear was grazed by a bullet when Thomas Matthew Crooks fired at him from a rooftop during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump’s defiant response, pumping his fist and shouting “fight, fight fight” became a defining image of the campaign.
Two months later, on September 15, a man with an assault rifle was arrested in shrubbery at Trump’s golf course in Florida while the then-Republican candidate was golfing. Ryan Wesley Routh is set to go on trial in November on charges including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate.
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