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| Right-wing extremist plans to blow up the Amazon data center |
The FBI has arrested a Texas man who allegedly plotted to blow up an AWS data center to shut down about 70% of the internet and cut off electricity in the United States.
The man tried to obtain an explosive device from a secret FBI agent to destroy Amazon Web Services facilities in Virginia.
The man bragged about participating in the January 6 attack on the US Capitol and wanted to blow up the Amazon data center because he believed the data center was being used by the FBI, CIA and other federal agencies.
The Justice Department accused the man of trying to use explosives to destroy the Amazon Data Center building. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
According to the Justice Ministry's complaint, the investigation began after the man made a statement on MyMilitia.com, an online forum organized by the militia.
In late January, the man began using the encrypted messaging app Signal to contact classified FBI sources.
The source told FBI investigators that the man planned to use C-4 plastic explosives to blow up the Amazon data center in Virginia.
A secret FBI source linked the man to someone who claimed to be a supplier of explosives. After receiving explosives from the mukhabarat, he was arrested, but it was in fact an inert device.
We must attribute this to the concerned citizen who reported the defendant's statement to the FBI on the Internet because this person saved the lives of many skilled workers, ”Acting North Texas Attorney General Brera K. Shah said in a statement.
He added: The Ministry of Justice is determined to arrest local extremists who want to commit acts of violence, regardless of the political feelings they arouse.
In a statement, Amazon thanked the FBI for its investigative work. A company spokesperson said: We care about the security of employee and customer data, and we constantly review various factors to address potential threats, and we continue to protect our employees. And attentive customers.