Michigan lawyer says a Halloween terror plot that FBI Director Kash
Patel described never existed
[November 03, 2025]
By JOSH FUNK
A Michigan defense lawyer is disputing FBI Director Kash Patel's
allegations that his 20-year-old client and four other young suspects
were planning to carry out a terror attack on Halloween weekend.
Announcing their arrests on Friday, Patel said more information would be
coming soon, however the FBI and Michigan authorities have offered few
details about the case. Spokespersons for the state and national FBI and
the U.S. Attorney in Detroit did not immediately respond to messages
Saturday.
The investigation involved discussion in an online chat room involving
at least some of the suspects who were taken into custody, according to
two people briefed on the investigation who could not publicly discuss
details. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
The group allegedly discussed carrying out an attack around Halloween,
referring to “pumpkin day,” according to one of the people. The other
person briefed on the investigation confirmed that there had been a
“pumpkin” reference.
However, lawyer Amir Makled, who represents a man from the suburb of
Dearborn who was still detained on Saturday, said federal authorities
haven't given him many details about the investigation but after
reviewing the matter, he concluded that no terror event was planned. He
said he doesn’t expect any charges will be filed.
“I don’t know where this hysteria and this fearmongering came from,”
Makled said.
He described the all-male group of U.S. citizens as gamers, and said
they range in age from 16 to 20.
“If these young men were on forums that they should not have been on or
things of that nature, then we’ll have to wait and see,” Makled said.
“But I don’t believe that there’s anything illegal about any of the
activity they were doing.”
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FBI agents gather outside a home in a Dearborn, Mich., neighborhood
on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Mike Householder)
Authorities said Friday after the arrests were made that there was
no further threat to public safety. Patel had announced in a post on
X that “the FBI thwarted a potential terrorist attack and arrested
multiple subjects in Michigan who were allegedly plotting a violent
attack over Halloween weekend.”
Investigators allege the plan was inspired by Islamic State group
extremism. It wasn’t immediately clear if they had the means to
carry out an attack, but the reference to Halloween prompted the FBI
to make arrests Friday, one of the people familiar with the
investigation told the AP.
Patel credited the vigilance of the FBI, along with help from local
authorities, with thwarting the plot.
Since the 9/11 terror attacks, the FBI has foiled several alleged
attacks through sting operations in which agents posed as terror
supporters, supplying advice and equipment.
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Associated Press writers Mike Balsamo and Eric Tucker in Washington
and Jacques Billeaud in Phoenix contributed to this report.
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