Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Monday that the Justice Department indicted two men who allegedly tried to bomb a protest near New York City's Gracie Mansion over the weekend. The pair threw homemade explosive devices at demonstrators and police officers, federal authorities say.
Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, face federal charges after NYPD officers arrested them at the scene Saturday. A criminal complaint filed Monday in the Southern District of New York accuses both men of an attempted terrorist attack outside the official residence of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
The indictment alleges the pair tried to detonate two explosive devices. Both suspects referred to ISIS during their detention. One allegedly told investigators he wanted an attack bigger than the Boston Marathon bombing.
Saturday's incident unfolded during competing demonstrations near Gracie Mansion, a "Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City" protest and a "Run Nazis Out of New York City" counterprotest. Balat allegedly hurled the first explosive device toward the crowd of protesters and counterprotesters, then threw a second near NYPD officers.
The devices did not explode. Newsmax reported that the homemade bombs contained TATP, a volatile explosive, along with a fuse and duct-taped nuts and bolts. Federal authorities charged both men with attempting to support ISIS and use of a weapon of mass destruction.
That these crude bombs failed to detonate does not diminish what investigators describe as deadly intent.
As the New York Post reported, the FBI raided the suspects' homes in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, treating the case as a full-blown terrorism investigation. The devices were described as sports drink bottles filled with TATP, a substance known in bomb-making circles as "Mother of Satan."
The investigation did not stop at the suspects' homes. The Post also reported that the FBI searched a storage facility in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, connected to suspect Balat. Investigators reportedly found more homemade explosive devices there, and the FBI bomb squad carried out controlled detonations.
That detail should chill anyone paying attention. These were not spur-of-the-moment acts. Federal investigators appear to be uncovering a pattern of preparation.
The FBI's New York office stated:
"The FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, along with our partners at the NYPD, will continue pursuing all leads and tips."
Bondi wrote on X Monday, making the announcement public. Her post included photos from the scene showing Balat and Kayumi holding the apparent explosive devices. The attorney general's statement was blunt:
"We have indicted the two alleged ISIS-inspired terrorists who attempted to bomb a protest in New York City. We will not allow ISIS's poisonous, anti-American ideology to threaten this nation. Our law enforcement officers will remain vigilant."
This is the same AG who has expanded federal arrests in other high-profile protest-related cases and recently brought a Benghazi suspect to U.S. soil to face murder charges. The pattern is clear: the DOJ under Bondi treats terrorism as terrorism and acts accordingly.
Mayor Mamdani condemned the alleged attack on Sunday in a post on X. He called the explosive devices "reprehensible" and praised the officers who responded:
"Our officers ran toward danger without hesitation, demonstrating once again the courage and dedication it takes to protect this city every single day."
He added that his administration was "closely monitoring the situation" and that he remained in contact with the Police Commissioner. On Monday, Mamdani called for Balat and Kayumi to be "held fully accountable for their actions."
But critics noticed what the mayor did not say. The New York Post reported that police union leaders and former Governor Andrew Cuomo urged the incident be treated as a terrorist attack and prosecuted federally. The Sergeants Benevolent Association posted on X: "This was a clear cut terrorist attack."
Mamdani, already facing public backlash over his response to U.S. strikes on Iran and presiding over a city in deep fiscal trouble, faces fresh questions about whether his instinct is to confront threats or soften them.
The most damning details come from the suspects themselves. The indictment states that during detention, both Balat and Kayumi referred to ISIS. The criminal complaint captures an exchange in which Balat was asked about the Boston Marathon bombing.
Newsmax reported Balat's alleged reply:
"No, even bigger."
He reportedly called the Boston bombing's three deaths insufficient, he was "hoping for something 'even bigger' in New York," investigators said.
Several questions remain unanswered. What specific charges does the indictment carry? Were there injuries? How did two teenagers in suburban Pennsylvania acquire TATP and build functional-looking bombs? The investigation is clearly still unfolding.
But the core facts are not in dispute. Two young men allegedly inspired by ISIS tried to set off bombs at a public demonstration in the heart of America's largest city, steps from the mayor's front door. NYPD officers ran toward the danger and arrested them on the spot.
When someone tells you they want an attack bigger than the Boston Marathon bombing, believe them, and be grateful the officers who stopped them didn't wait for a committee to decide what to call it.
