More questioned in NYC terror plot
NEW YORK – Hundreds of federal agents and police officers widened their investigation of a potential terrorism plot involving an alleged al-Qaida associate on Wednesday as questions lingered about whether early missteps might have made the chore harder.
Investigators have fanned out in a New York City neighborhood to re-interview “people previously encountered” during previous raids there, and to locate others who know them, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the probe. The effort also includes a review of phone and other records that could link potential suspects to one another or identify new ones.
“Many of the people we’ve spoken to have been cooperative,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because the investigation is ongoing.
The official said business owners are also on the list of possible witnesses in a potential homemade-bomb plot. The official declined to identify those businesses, but authorities regularly monitor sales by suppliers of chemicals that could be used in improvised explosives.
Najibullah Zazi, a 24-year-old Denver airport shuttle driver whom authorities have linked to al-Qaida; his father; and Ahmad Wais Afzali, a Queens imam, were charged last weekend with lying to the FBI. Authorities say they found bomb-making instructions on a hard drive on Zazi’s laptop but knew of no specific time or place for a possible attack.
More Stories
How funding cuts are affecting USF student orgs, depts
For Carolina Gutfreund, next year’s cuts to student organization funding won’t just shrink the Botanical Gardens Club’s budget — they’ve led her to step down as its president. “The idea of it being bad was just making me so sad because we put a lot of effort into our events,” said Gutfreund, a junior English […]
USF Health Morsani College of Medicine is ranked best in the state
USF’s Morsani College of Medicine has been named the top medical school in Florida and ranked among the nation’s best in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report rankings. The college, now recognized as a Tier 1 institution, is the only medical school in Florida to receive this distinction. Charles Lockwood, the executive vice president […]
USF students reflect on preparedness following FSU shooting
When confetti and champagne popped near the MSC Amphitheater during an Acts of Kindness event on April 24, Ashley Messer froze – afraid she was hearing gunshots. “All I could think for the rest of the event was that I just stood there like a deer in headlights,” said the junior English major. “I didn’t […]
USF rocket team completes most advanced launch in club’s history
Facing budget cuts, loss of resources and logistical setbacks, USF’s Society of Aeronautics and Rocketry completed what its members called the most advanced rocket launch in the club’s 12-year history. Led by computer engineering senior Alvaro Lazaro, SOAR launched its high-powered rocket, Prometheus, during a nationwide NASA Student Launch competition, marking the first time the […]
USF assembles DOGE task force to dig up ‘unnecessary’ spending
USF President Rhea Law has assembled a task force to promote “efficiency, transparency and strategic reinvestment” among university departments and staff. The team will be responsible for managing Florida State Department of Governmental Efficiency requests at USF, according to public records obtained by The Oracle. Gov. Ron DeSantis created the Florida DOGE in February to […]
USF Faculty Senate opposes UP, ICE partnership
The USF Faculty Senate called on USF leadership to withdraw University Police from an agreement with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that will allow campus police to enforce immigration laws. During a special Faculty Senate meeting on Friday, senators expressed concerns over how USF’s international community – faculty and students alike – would be […]