WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 (UPI) -- Investigators Wednesday arrested a naturalized U.S. citizen from Pakistan in an alleged plot to bomb Washington Metro stations.
A federal indictment accuses Farooque Ahmed, 34, of Ashburn, Va., of conspiring with what he thought were al-Qaida agents to attack the subway stops at Arlington National Cemetery, Pentagon City, Crystal City and Court House.
Ahmed was caught in an undercover sting operation, The Washington Post reported. He first attracted the attention of law enforcement by attempting to obtain unspecified materials, the Post reported.
Officials say they believe Ahmed conceived the plot and intended to carry it out on his own although it is not known how far he proceeded in his preparations, the Post said.
Federal officials conducting the sting operation asked Ahmed to perform video surveillance, gathering material he later turned over to federal undercover agents he believed to be connected to al-Qaida.
Unlike U.S. citizens implicated in other recent terror plots, Ahmed does not appear to have received overseas training from al-Qaida or any other terrorist group, sources told the Post.
