A dual US-German citizen has been arrested on charges of attempting to bomb a branch office of the US Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, federal officials said.
The suspect, Joseph Neumayer, 28, was deported by Israeli authorities and taken into custody by FBI agents at the John F Kennedy International Airport in New York on Sunday.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the arrest and vowed justice, saying, “Joining our partners, I can confirm that today FBI agents arrested Joseph Neumayer, a dual US and German citizen, on allegations of planning to firebomb the US Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel - as well as threats made against President Trump’s life on social media.”
Authorities stated that Neumayer “spit on an Embassy guard” and fled when the guard tried to detain him. He was later arrested the same day at a nearby hotel.
The US Department of Justice revealed that Neumayer had been actively posting violent threats online. One message, shared just hours before the incident, read: “Join me as I burn down the embassy in Tel Aviv. Death to America, death to Americans, and f**k the West.”
Investigators also linked him to posts threatening to kill President Donald Trump. These threats were included in a complaint unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn.
US Attorney Joseph Nocella said, “As alleged, Neumayer, armed with potentially lethal devices, sought to cause chaos and destruction at the US Embassy in Tel Aviv. His arrest and prosecution clearly show that my Office and the Department of Justice will not tolerate violence in our homeland or violence targeting US interests abroad.”