FORTH LAUDERDALE, Fla., Dec. 1 (UPI) -- Federal agents in Florida charged two men with allegedly conspiring to detonate explosives on U.S. soil and providing material support to terrorists.
Brothers Raees Alam Qazi, 20, and Sheheryar Alam Qazi, 30, were arrested by FBI agents Thursday in Fort Lauderdale, ABC News reported.
Prosecutors said the brothers' plot dated back to at least July 2011 when they allegedly began conspiring to provide support and resources, including money, property, lodging, communications equipment, personnel and transportation, to detonate explosives at an undisclosed location in the United States.
"The FBI's number one priority is counterterrorism and we continue to work with our partners to protect the U.S. and its people from harm," said acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Steinbach of the FBI's Miami Division in a news release. "To be clear, this is not an indictment against a particular community or religion. Instead, today's indictment charges two individuals for conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and to use a weapon of mass destruction."
The suspects -- both naturalized citizens from Pakistan -- made their first court appearance Friday afternoon in federal court in Fort Lauderdale, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported.
They are now being held at the Broward County Main Jail, where they will remain pending trial that is scheduled for Dec. 7.
If convicted, both could face up to life in federal prison on the more serious charge and up to 15 years on the allegation they supported terrorists.
