Cole James Bridges, Attempting to Assist ISIS to Conduct Deadly Ambush on U.S. Troops, New York 2023
A U.S. Army soldier who allegedly attempted to assist ISIS to conduct a deadly ambush on U.S. troops has been arrested in New York. Cole James Bridges, a 20-year-old private first class, was charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and attempting to murder U.S. military service members.
Bridges, also known as Cole Gonzales, was arrested by the FBI and U.S. Army Counterintelligence on [Date of arrest, not specified]. He will be presented later today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia.
According to the criminal complaint, Bridges joined the U.S. Army in approximately September 2019 and was assigned as a cavalry scout in the 3rd Infantry Division based in Fort Stewart, Georgia. Beginning in at least 2019, Bridges began researching and consuming online propaganda promoting jihadists and their violent ideology.
Bridges also expressed his support for the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and jihad on social media. In or about October 2020, Bridges began communicating with an FBI online covert employee (the “OCE”), who was posing as an ISIS supporter in contact with ISIS fighters in the Middle East.
During these communications, Bridges expressed his frustration with the U.S. military and his desire to aid ISIS. Bridges then provided training and guidance to purported ISIS fighters, allegedly giving them military advice on how to kill fellow soldiers.
The charges against Bridges come after an investigation by the FBI, the NYPD, and U.S. Army Counterintelligence. The case should serve as a reminder that the FBI will never quit in its commitment to protect our Nation from all those who seek to do it harm.
Bridges is currently being held without bail and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of the charges against him.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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