Most ISIS-linked federal defendants are US citizens: Study

Published September 15, 2026 6:00am ET



EXCLUSIVE — The case of a New Yorker charged with plotting a bombing reflects a broad trend of American citizens becoming alleged Islamic State group terrorists, a government-linked research group told the Washington Examiner.

Federal prosecutors have charged 280 people since 2014 with ISIS-related crimes, including 212 U.S. citizens, according to the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center. The most recent high-profile example is Albany woman Jessica Bowie, who was arrested in August for allegedly telling undercover FBI sources about her plans to blow up the New York State Capitol.

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