Quinn Kleinfelter

FBI Director Kash Patel applauded the bureau for stopping the alleged Halloween assault in the Detroit area before it could begin.

Now a grand jury is indicting 19-year-old Ayyab Nasser, his 20-year-old brother Muhammad Ali, and 20-year-old Majid Mahmoud, accusing them of stockpiling weapons to use in a crime and conspiring to help the Islamic State terrorist group.

The government has arrested eight individuals so far in connection with the case, including men from New Jersey and Washington State and several juveniles.

Defense attorneys counter those indicted just talked tough on social media but never planned to harm anyone.

For NPR News, I'm Quinn Kleinfelter in Detroit.