The FBI has arrested a Florida man for allegedly plotting to attack the south Florida offices of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
The organization is a major pro-Israel national advocacy group that lobbies Congress and the White House on issues important to the State of Israel.
According to court documents cited by CBS News and other local media, Forrest Pemberton is accused to traveling to the organization’s offices in Plantation with the intent of “killing, injuring, harassing and intimidating” employees and others at the site.
The court documents do not specifically identify AIPAC as the target, but rather described it as a group that “advocates and lobbies for pro-Israel policies that strengthen and expand the US-Israel relationship.”
The Gainesville man was tracked by law enforcement on December 22 to a hotel near the AIPAC offices, and a Tallahassee hotel the next day.
Law enforcement arrested Pemberton on Dec. 25 in Tallahassee, the first of night Hanukkah, as he was traveling in a “rideshare” vehicle carrying an AR-style assault rifle, ammunition and at least two other firearms.
The suspect’s father contacted police on Dec. 23, warning that his son had left home, and left behind a goodbye letter saying he wanted to “close the loop” and “stoke the flames.”
A search of Pemberton’s computer showed queries for the location of AIPAC and its former Plantation office, along with a search for the IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center and the IRS Appeals and Chief Counsel Office, according to WKRG News.
An FBI affidavit signed by special agent Taylor Nicklin and submitted by prosecutors said that during questioning the next day, Pemberton was asked about his intentions.
“Um, I really don’t know if I was gonna end it with my life or not,” he said, according to the court documents. “I hadn’t gotten that far yet. It entirely depended if I ended up getting caught or not. If caught, that was a way out . . . I had firearms with me, the purpose was twofold: Like I said before, sell ‘em if I need ‘em, but otherwise they can be used for criminal intent if I wanted to – which was my intention – such as harming another individual.”
The suspect told the agents that he had chosen to target the organization “because of its political influence” and over his “frustration with the status quo.”
He added that he had ultimately decided against carrying out the attack, saying, “It would have been a one-way ticket, in Plantation, I decided I wasn’t ready. I gave up.”
An AIPAC spokesperson told CBS News the organization was “deeply appreciative” of the FBI’s work.
“We take these threats very seriously and we are working closely with law enforcement concerning this matter. We will not be deterred by extremists in pursuing our mission to strengthen the relationship with America’s valued ally, Israel. We are deeply appreciative of the FBI’s work to stop this individual,” the spokesperson said.
