A current member of the Illinois National Guard and his cousin have been arrested for trying to align with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
Army National Guard Specialist Hasan Edmonds, 22, was arrested at Chicago Midway International Airport Wednesday night while attempting to fly to Cairo, according to the Department of Justice. His cousin, Jonas Edmonds, 29, was also arrested at his home in Aurora, Ill.
Both were charged with one count of conspiring to provide material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization and are scheduled to appear in Illinois federal court Thursday.
The FBI in late 2014 became aware of Hasan Edmonds, who planned to use his military training to fight on behalf of the Islamic State. After he departed, Jonas Edmonds planned to carry out an act of terrorism against the U.S military facility in northern Illinois his cousin trained at, according to officials.
According to the complaint, Jonas Edmonds asked an undercover FBI agent to assist in the attack and explained they would use his cousin’s military uniforms and information Hasan Edmonds revealed about how to access and attack officers at the Illinois military facility.
Roughly 30 people in the U.S. have been charged with attempting to join or joining terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria over the past 18 months, according to ABC News.
