Three Kansas men are in federal custody tonight after a wide-ranging plan to attack a predominantly Black community of Somali Muslims. The men have been identified as Curtis Allen, 49, Gavin Wright, 49, and Patrick Stein, 47, and are part of a White militia group called the “Crusaders.” The FBI had infiltrated the group with an undercover informant and learned of a stockpile of ammo and horrific plans to start a reign of terror in Garden City, Kansas, which has a large community of Somali refugees who work at a Tyson’s Food beef slaughter facility. The FBI stated that the men planned to detonate four car bombs at the Garden City Apartments in what they stated would “wake people up” to their hatred of Muslim immigrants. In addition, there were plans to bomb a mosque as well as attack city council and community meetings.
According to the FBI, their undercover investigation began in February 2016 during which time they were able to learn about the White supremacist terrorist group’s operations and hate filled ideology. According to the criminal complaint against Patrick Stein, he drove around the community and picked targets as well as those he wanted to assassinate. All of the men accused have expressed hatred and violent intentions toward the Somali Muslim community and planned to issue a manifesto of beliefs.
In one encounter the undercover informant was part of a conference call where Curtis Allen stated:
“We need to get some signs made up … hundreds of them, kind of like the redneck deal, ‘here’s your sign’ and just put right there on it: I SUPPORT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, I GO AGAINST THE CONSTITUTION ON A DAILY BASIS, I DO NOT HAVE ANY CARE FOR MY FELLOW CITIZENS IN THE STATE OR IN THE TOWN THAT I REPRESENT … and then for every one of them that we blow the top of their head off we just put that around their neck.”
Police arrested Allen earlier this week after a domestic disturbance incident with his girlfriend. When officers searched his home and vehicle, they recovered AR-15, an AK-47, a Glock handgun and a metric ton of stockpiled ammo. FBI agents then searched his workplace where another co-conspirator also worked and recovered bomb components that included a detonator. All three men in the plot were arrested on Friday and have been charged with conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction, according to the Department of Justice’s national security division. The men face life in prison with no parole if convicted of the charges.
