American radicalized by ISIS expressed 'excitement' about traveling overseas to support terrorist group: FBI

A North Carolina man is charged with providing material support to ISIS after he allegedly made plans to travel to Morocco in December 2024 to join the foreign terrorist organization (FTO), according to federal court documents.

Alexander Justin White, 29, of Durham, allegedly used social media — primarily Facebook and encrypted messaging apps (EMAs) — to "make posts about supporting ISIS and jihad" and communicate with other ISIS supporters about wanting to join the FTO.

In those communications, White, using the pseudonym "Sulaiman Al-Amriki," unknowingly had online conversations with an undercover FBI agent, authorities said.

"WHITE openly discussed his desire and intention to travel overseas to join ISIS with various individuals on Facebook and over EMAs," a federal complaint states.

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The suspect's "many online conversations with various persons, as well as his communications with the [FBI confidential human source] and the [FBI Online Covert Employee] display a longstanding intent and desire to join ISIS which he prepared for and attempted on December 4, 2024," the complaint says. "He expressly acknowledged awareness of ISIS as a designated FTO and repeatedly expressed concern over being caught by law enforcement and the efforts he was taking to avoid capture."

In his conversations with the undercover agent, White said his "heart starts pounding fast .. [from] the good excitement" when he thought about traveling for ISIS.

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In September 2024, the undercover agent asked White if he was "ok with killing members of the U.S. Military or other U.S. citizens," to which White allegedly replied, "…If it was a family member I would still fight back with them ... There is no us troops [sic] love for homeland or any of this thing [sic]," according to the complaint.

The suspect allegedly said he had multiple firearms and knew how to use them. A photo included in the report shows White firing a gun at a range in July 2024.

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White also apparently described having vivid dreams about fighting for ISIS with the agent.

The suspect communicated with the undercover agent online for months about making plans to travel to Morocco to provide support to ISIS. He followed through on those plans late last year, when he booked a flight from Raleigh to Rabat, Morocco, on Dec. 4, authorities said.

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Federal agents arrested him that day after he checked into his flight, proceeded through a security checkpoint at Raleigh-Durham International Airport and attempted "to make his way to board the plane," court documents state.

Authorities said they seized nearly $7,000 from White on the day of his arrest and confiscated multiple firearms from his apartment in Durham.

White's arrest comes after exiting FBI Director Christopher Wray told "60 Minutes" in a Sunday interview that ISIS supporters inspired "from afar" are "the most challenging type of terrorist threat we face" when asked about the Jan. 1 terrorist attack in New Orleans that left 15 people dead, including the Texas-born terrorist attacker, Shamsud-Din Jabbar.

"You're talking about guys like this, who radicalize not in years but in weeks, and whose method of attack is still very deadly but fairly crude," Wray said. "And if you think about that old saying about connecting the dots, there are not a lot of dots out there to connect. And there's very little time in which to connect them."

White's attorney, Chris Locascio, could not immediately be reached for comment.