HOUSTON — FBI Houston on Thursday announced the arrest of a man they say tried to provide support to ISIS and admitted to planning a terrorist attack on U.S. soil. Documents show he was also connected to a plot to harm former President George W. Bush.
Authorities said 28-year-old Anas Said was doing this all from his apartment in far west Houston.
U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani said Said was born in Houston but his family then moved back to their native Lebanon until September 2014.
The FBI said Said admitted to researching how to attack local military recruiting centers, offering his home for ISIS operatives, and bragging that he would commit a "9/11-style" attack if he had the resources. He also attempted to produce ISIS propaganda.
Said is charged with attempting to provide material support to ISIS. FBI agents arrested him on Nov. 8, 2024. Hamdani said when the agents confronted Said, he violently threw his cell phone against the ground to shatter it.
Hamdani said a search of Said's devices revealed pro-ISIS images and messages, including communications with the official media outlet for ISIS. He is accused of creating at least five videos and two images that he sent to an ISIS social media and web designer for distribution. Authorities refer to this person as the "Designer."
"We've taken a suspected terrorist off the streets of Houston," FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams said.
Williams said Said has been on the FBI Houston Joint Terrorist Task Force's radar since 2017. Court documents filed by Hamdani reveal they noticed Said because he ordered two stickers with pro-ISIS messaging.
"Our early investigation determined Said frequently viewed ISIS literature and other online propaganda," Williams said.
When agents interviewed Said in 2018, he told them he did not support ISIS' killings, but admitted to visiting ISIS media websites and liked the fact that the terrorist organization was "waking people up."
Williams said the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel spurred Said toward violence, pushing him to the top of their priority list of national security threats.
"Defendant also discussed researching an unnamed Jewish organization in Houston that supported Israel," court documents read.
The documents said he planned to take multiple steps to deter the organization's support of Israel. If ineffective, Said said he would impersonate a donor and meet with the head of the organization to try and convince him. If that didn't work, court documents said Said would have assaulted him/her.
That wasn't the extent of his violent intents, according to the FBI.
"He admitted to wanting to use explosives to commit a mass killing here in Houston," Williams said. "He expressed the desire to join the U.S. Military just so he could commit an act once he was inside their ranks."
The court documents echo what Williams said. They claim an undercover FBI employee asked if he would make and use an explosive belt.
"'If I did, it would be very easy. I would shave my beard and hair, put on a military uniform for camouflage, and go inside and push the button. Everything will turn into grilled meat,'" the court documents read, allegedly quoting Said.
A search of Said's laptop reportedly revealed files containing instructions on how to prepare C4 explosives, use a remote detonator, and prepare other various explosives.
Court documents also allege Said told the undercover employee in 2023 that he had offered to house men who "attempted to enter Texas to kill 'Bush,' but that plot was not successful." The documents say "Bush" refers to former President George W. Bush. They also claim Said said former President Bush and President Joe Biden were "too old" and that "it would be wasteful to use a bullet on them."
Hamdani said Said has a bond hearing scheduled sometime Thursday evening.
Watch the update authorities gave on Thursday: