FBI arrests woman over alleged plot to bomb New York capitol building

FBI agents arrested Jessica Bowie, a 35‑year‑old resident of Albany, on Wednesday after uncovering an alleged plan to bomb the New York State Capitol building. Prosecutors say Bowie had previously pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) and faces charges of providing material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization. According to the criminal complaint, Bowie repeatedly surveilled the Capitol in advance and was carrying a fake weapon and a defective gun that had been supplied to her by undercover agents. She allegedly told those agents, “I privation to destruct arsenic much of the gathering as imaginable and termination the senators.” Bowie, who authorities say discussed her plans with FBI informants and spent weeks with operatives posing as IS members, selected the Albany statehouse because she believed it would be an easier target than the White House. She reportedly said, “I privation it to person an impact connected the American system,” and prosecutors claim she visited the building at least five times on reconnaissance missions. As part of the alleged plot, Bowie intended to conceal a bomb inside a food‑transportation container; charging documents include an image of the DoorDash container she brought to agents. Agents reportedly gave her $200 (£147) to purchase bomb‑making materials at a local hardware store, drove her to a Home Depot, and noted her comment upon leaving: “I anticipation the nails are large enough... due to the fact that the nails enactment as shrapnel, right?” At the time of her arrest, Bowie was also found carrying knives and a written oath of allegiance to IS. A charging paper filed by the FBI on Thursday describes her as a “frequent societal media user” who has used online platforms to “espouse anti‑American messages,” noting bans from several services for violating terms of service and citing her use of social media to praise the 11 September 2001 al‑Qaeda attacks. During the investigation, Bowie allegedly told agents she had converted to Islam roughly five years earlier and stated, “she went from a small miss waving an American emblem aft 9/11 to present having stickers of the falling towers.” New York Governor Kathy Hochul praised the operation, writing on X, “I'm grateful to the FBI for starring this probe and to the New York State Police for their enactment to apprehend this unsafe individual.” She added, “Earlier this year, amid a emergence in governmental unit and threats against nationalist officials, we took steps to fortify information at the State Capitol and crossed authorities government.” It remains unclear whether Bowie intends to contest the charges.