The Extremism Roundup

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Scammers often create fake profiles that look real to gather your personal information or trick you into scams. Always check the person’s profile for mutual friends, suspicious posts, or inconsistencies before accepting.
What to do:
·        Only accept friend requests from people you actually know.
·        Review your privacy settings so strangers can’t easily contact you.
·        Report fake or suspicious accounts to the platform.

Islamist Extremism

A Long Beach man was convicted for possessing this homemade bomb found by FBI in July 2025 – FBI via NBC Los Angeles News screenshot

California Man Convicted in ISIS Financing and Explosives Case

• Mark Lorenzo Villanueva, 29, of Long Beach, Calif., pleaded guilty in federal court to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and to being a felon in possession of a firearm after prosecutors found a homemade bomb at his residence in August 2025.

• Prosecutors said Villanueva communicated via social media beginning in February 2025 with an individual who claimed to be an ISIS fighter and, based on instructions, sent more than $1,600 overseas to fund ammunition, weapons, and supplies.

• Sentencing is scheduled for June 17, 2026, with potential prison terms of up to 35 years. READ MORE

Teen Indicted in ISIS-Inspired Attack Plot at North Carolina Grocery and Restaurant

• Christian Sturdivant, 18, of Mint Hill, N.C., was indicted on federal charges of attempting to provide material support to ISIS after authorities say he planned an attack on a grocery store and a fast-food restaurant around New Year’s Eve 2026, according to a federal affidavit.

• FBI agents allege that Sturdivant communicated online with what he thought were ISIS members, pledged allegiance to the group, and sent images of weapons such as hammers and knives to an undercover contact.

• Law enforcement executed a search of his residence on Dec. 29, 2025, and reported finding handwritten documents titled “New Years [sic] Attack 2026” listing tactical gear and a plan to stab civilians, along with hammers and knives in his home. He remains in federal custody and faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison. READ MORE

Militant-Right and Militant-Left Extremism 

A protester allegedly bit off a finger of a federal agent in Minnesota - Tricia McLaughlin/X via Fox News screenshot

Anti-ICE Rioter Bites Off Federal Officer’s Finger During Minneapolis Attack

• A federal law enforcement officer lost part of a finger after an anti-ICE rioter allegedly bit it during an altercation in Minneapolis, according to Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, who shared a photo on social media on Jan. 31.
• The incident occurred amid tensions surrounding immigration enforcement actions in the city, with multiple individuals and law enforcement present.
• Authorities said charges are pending as the investigation into the attack continues. READ MORE  
  

North Alabama Neo-Nazi Charged in Firearms Trafficking Plot 

• Aiden Cuevas, 20, of Madison County, Ala., was charged in federal court with conspiracy to traffic illegal firearms after an undercover FBI operation found he and an associate purchased fully automatic weapons with erased serial numbers, according to the complaint.
• Cuevas and Andrew Nary, 23, of North Carolina, were arrested Jan. 20 after Cuevas obtained three fully automatic rifles and three Glock pistols. Both face charges in the Northern District of Alabama related to the alleged trafficking scheme.
• According to the federal complaint, Cuevas is associated with a self-described local neo-Nazi network referred to by experts as the “North Bama Brigade,” whose members were arrested in a related trespassing and burglary case in Iuka, Miss., the previous year. READ MORE  
  

Hate Crimes 

Driver in custody after crashing car into Chabad World Headquarters in Brooklyn - via WABC News screenshot

Driver Faces Hate Crime Charge After Repeatedly Crashing Into Chabad Jewish Center in Brooklyn 

• Dan Sohail, 36, of Carteret, N.J., was arrested after repeatedly driving his car into the entrance of the Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn on Jan. 28, 2026, according to police.

• Officers assigned to the site saw the vehicle hit the building’s basement-level doors, reverse, and strike them again; the Chabad complex was evacuated as a precaution, and no injuries were reported.

• Police charged Sohail with attempted assault and other offenses, with prosecutors treating the case as a possible hate crime due to the religious significance of the target. READ MORE  

Colorado Driver Gets 20 Years for Hate-Driven Attempted Murder

• Vitalie Oprea, 47, of Aurora, Colo., was sentenced to 20 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to attempted first-degree murder with a violent-crime enhancer in a hate-motivated attack, the 18th Judicial District’s office said.
• Prosecutors said on Feb. 19, 2023, Oprea saw two women he believed were lesbians standing on a street corner; he began yelling, made obscene gestures, and then drove his vehicle toward them.
• Witnesses told investigators that the women ran to escape and entered a nearby pickup truck, after which Oprea rammed the truck with his vehicle, exited, and attempted to pull one of the women out before fleeing the scene and later being arrested about 20 miles away. READ MORE  

School Threats 

Imagine Prep Sunrise (Arizona) - via AZFamily screenshot

Teen Arrested for Terror Threat Against Arizona Charter School

• A 16-year-old male student was arrested Jan. 23, 2026, in Surprise, Ariz., after police said he posted a threat on social media targeting Imagine Prep Sunrise, a local charter school.

• Following his arrest, the teen was booked into the Maricopa County Juvenile Detention Center, where he remained pending court proceedings on a charge of making terroristic threats against the school. READ MORE  

Student Arrested After Social Media Threat to Florida School

• A 16-year-old student at Aubrey Rogers High School in North Naples, Fla., was arrested after being accused of writing threats of violence against the school on social media.
• The Collier County Sheriff’s Office said deputies investigated the written threats and determined there was no credible threat to the school.
• The student faces a second-degree felony charge of making written threats to kill or do bodily injury or to conduct a mass shooting or act of terrorism. READ MORE