Federal authorities have confirmed the arrest of a suspect in New Iberia who is accused of planning a violent attack as part of a widening national investigation into an extremist group. The FBI New Orleans Field Office said the arrest occurred Saturday morning, with agents from the Lafayette Resident Agency taking the lead.
UPDATE:
Federal documents identify an ex-New Iberia officer and former Marine, Micha Legnon, 29, as a suspect tied to a NYE extremist plot who was allegedly en route to attack New Orleans.
ORIGINAL STORY:
New Iberia Arrest Linked to Pro-Palestinian Extremist Group Investigation
According to WVUE Fox 8 and statements from FBI Director Kash Patel, the individual arrested in Louisiana is accused of having ties to a radical subgroup of the Turtle Island Liberation Front, a pro-Palestinian extremist organization. The arrest came just as four alleged members of the same group were taken into custody in Los Angeles for reportedly plotting multiple New Year’s Eve bombings across five locations.
Federal officials say the New Iberia suspect was allegedly planning a separate attack. It remains unclear whether that planned violence was intended for Louisiana, California, or another location. So far, the FBI has not publicly identified the suspect.
Charges Filed Under Seal, No Identity… Yet
A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana confirmed that charges have been filed but noted the case is currently sealed. No additional details about the nature of the alleged plot or evidence collected have been released.
Authorities also said there is no indication at this time that the Louisiana suspect was coordinating with the individuals arrested in Los Angeles, although all are accused of being connected to the same extremist group.
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Recent Pattern of Terror-Related Arrests in Acadiana
This marks the second terror-related arrest in the Lafayette region in just over two months. In October, federal authorities arrested Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub al-Muhtadi, a Gaza man accused of taking part in the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack on Israel before entering the U.S. on an illegal visa. He was living in Lafayette at the time of his arrest…