Soldier arrested in NYC 9/11 Memorial bomb plot

NEW YORK — A US Army soldier was arrested Tuesday in Georgia on terrorism charges after he spoke online about plots to blow up New York City’s 9/11 Memorial and other landmarks and attack US soldiers in the Middle East, authorities said Tuesday.

Cole James Bridges of Stow, Ohio, was in custody on charges of attempted material support of a terrorist organization — the Islamic State group — and attempted murder of a military member, said Nicholas Biase, a spokesperson for Manhattan federal prosecutors.

The 20-year-old soldier, also known as Cole Gonzales, was with the Third Infantry Division out of Fort Stewart, Georgia, when he thought he was communicating with the Islamic State online about the terrorism plots, Biase said.

Unbeknownst to Bridges, an FBI employee was in on the chat as Bridges provided detailed instructions on tactics and manuals and advice about attacking the memorial and other targets in New York City, Biase said.

“As we allege today, Bridges, a private in the US Army, betrayed our country and his unit when he plotted with someone he believed was an ISIS sympathizer to help ISIS attack and kill US soldiers in the Middle East,” said William F. Sweeney Jr., head of New York City’s FBI office.

“Fortunately, the person with whom he communicated was an FBI employee, and we were able to prevent his evil desires from coming to fruition,” Sweeney said in a release.

Bridges was scheduled to make an initial appearance in federal court in Augusta, Georgia, on Thursday.

It was not immediately clear who would represent him.

According to a criminal complaint in Manhattan federal court, Bridges joined the US Army in September 2019 and was assigned as a cavalry scout in Fort Stewart.

At some point, he began researching and consuming online propaganda promoting jihadists and their violent ideology, authorities said.