Two ISIS Supporters Charged With Attempting To Detonate Explosive Devices During Protests Outside Gracie Mansion

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Attorney General for the United States, Pamela Bondi, Deputy Attorney General for the United States, Todd Blanche, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., and Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Jessica S. Tisch, announced today charges against EMIR BALAT and IBRAHIM KAYUMI alleging that they attempted to detonate two explosive devices in the vicinity of Gracie Mansion, and that they were acting in support of ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization.

“As alleged, on Saturday, March 7, during protests taking place outside Gracie Mansion on the Upper East Side, Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi attempted to detonate two improvised explosive devices amongst the protesters,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “Moreover, after being apprehended by NYPD officers, both Balat and Kayumi stated they were aligned with ISIS.  Free speech and peaceable assembly are the bedrock of American democracy.  Violence is not protected speech, and it’s not protected protest.  In New York, violence—particularly acts of terror—will be met with swift justice.  This investigation remains ongoing, and we encourage anyone with further information to please contact tips.fbi.gov online or 1-800-CALL-FBI.”

“This was an alleged ISIS-inspired act of terrorism that could have killed American citizens,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.  “We will not allow ISIS’s poisonous, anti-American ideology to threaten this nation—our law enforcement officers will remain vigilant, as they were when these devices were brought to a protest.”

“These men allegedly sought to inflict mass casualties in service to ISIS with the hope of exceeding the carnage of the Boston Marathon bombing,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.  “We are tremendously grateful to the brave law enforcement officers who ran into harm’s way to apprehend these individuals and disarm the explosives before anyone was harmed.  Thanks to the quick investigative work by federal law enforcement, this Department of Justice will prosecute these men, who pledged allegiance to a foreign terrorist organization, to the fullest extent.”

“Inspired by ISIS, a designated terrorist organization, Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi allegedly threw one improved explosive device, and attempted to toss another, into a crowd gathered on East End Avenue,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr.  “Balat and Kayumi sought to incite fear and mass suffering through this alleged attempted terror attack.  Alongside the NYPD, the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force will not tolerate those who use violence against targets in New York City to broadcast their terrorist ideologies.”

“As alleged in the complaint, the crimes committed by Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi were not random,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch.  “This was an act of ISIS-inspired terrorism.  From the first moments since the attack, the NYPD has been working seamlessly with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and I am deeply grateful for their partnership in this investigation.  The men and women of the NYPD will continue to stand watch over this city and selflessly run towards the danger to keep the public safe.”

As alleged in the Complaint:[1]

On or about March 7, 2026, a protest called “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City, Stop New York City Public Muslim Prayer” and a counter-protest called “Run Nazis Out of New York City” were held outside of Gracie Mansion in Manhattan, New York.  Gracie Mansion is the official residence of the Mayor of New York City.

At approximately 12:15 p.m., BALAT ignited and threw an explosive device (“Device-1”) toward the area where the protesters were gathered, as pictured below:

Immediately after throwing Device-1, BALAT ran to another location down the block and received a second explosive device (“Device-2”) from KAYUMI, as pictured below:

After apparently igniting Device-2, BALAT dropped Device-2 near where several NYPD officers were standing, ran away from the NYPD officers, and jumped over a barricade.  He was tackled and arrested by NYPD officers shortly thereafter, as was KAYUMI.  Pictured below are BALAT mid-flight and Device-2 hitting the ground:

Following his arrest, while en route to the NYPD precinct, BALAT stated to NYPD officers: “this isn’t a religion that just stands when people talk about the blessed name of the prophet . . . We take action!  We take action!”; and “if I didn’t do it someone else will come and do it.”  Then, after arriving at the NYPD precinct, BALAT requested a piece of paper and, after being given a paper and pen, wrote the following: “All praise is due to Allah lord of all worlds!  I pledge my allegiance to the Islamic State.  Die in your rage yu [sic] kuffar!  Emir B.” “Kuffar” is an Arabic term that refers to “non-believers” or “infidels,” and “Die in your rage” is a slogan used by ISIS.

Law enforcement officers later asked BALAT if he was familiar with the Boston Marathon bombing, and if that was what BALAT had hoped to accomplish.  BALAT responded: “No, even bigger.  It was only three deaths.”

After KAYUMI was arrested, and as he was being placed inside an NYPD vehicle to be transported from the scene to an NYPD precinct, an individual from the surrounding crowd yelled to KAYUMI and asked why KAYUMI had done this.  KAYUMI responded, “ISIS.”  Then, at the NYPD precinct, in response to a question from law enforcement about whether he was affiliated with ISIS, KAYUMI indicated that he was.  He further stated, in substance and part, that: (i) he has watched ISIS propaganda on his phone; (ii) his actions that day were partly inspired by ISIS; (iii) he did not feel comfortable holding the Devices earlier that day; and (iv) he would not feel comfortable if the Devices were in the interrogation room with him.

After BALAT and KAYUMI were arrested and the Devices were secured, an FBI Special Agent Bomb Technician (“SABT”) conducted a preliminary examination of the Devices and determined that they were each approximately the size of a mason jar; that they each had an attached fuse; and that they each had nuts and bolts attached to the exterior, surrounded by duct tape.  A preliminary analysis of Device-1, the device that BALAT threw into the crowd of protesters, showed that it contained TATP, a highly volatile explosive that is colloquially known as the “Mother of Satan” and extremely sensitive to impact, friction, and heat.  TATP has been used in multiple terrorist attacks over the last decade.

Pictured below are the contents inside Device-1 after it was opened by law enforcement:

On or about March 8, 2026, law enforcement officers located a parked vehicle registered to a family member of BALAT a few blocks from Gracie Mansion.  From inside the vehicle, law enforcement officers recovered a coiled green material consistent in appearance with hobby fuse, an empty metal can of the same approximate dimensions and appearance as the can recovered from inside Device-1, and a notebook containing handwritten notes.  One page of the notebook contains the note “TATP explosive”; another page contains a list of chemical ingredients, including “hydrogen peroxide,” “sulfuric acid,” and “acetone”; and a third page contains a list of components and quantities, such as “aluminum can x6,” and “a box of bolts ect [sic] 2x.”

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BALAT, 18, of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, and KAYUMI, 19, of Newtown, Pennsylvania, are charged with attempted provision of material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; use of a weapon of mass destruction, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; transportation of explosive materials, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; interstate transportation and receipt of explosives, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and unlawful possession of destructive devices, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

The minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding efforts of the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI, which consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the NYPD, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies. Mr. Clayton also thanked the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, the New York City Police Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the New York State Police, Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI Newark Field Office, the FBI Philadelphia Field Office, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for their assistance.

This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan L. Bodansky and Jane Y. Chong are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney James Donnelly of the Counterterrorism Section and paralegal specialist Juan Muñoz.

 [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the charging instrument to date constitutes only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.