In a significant development in the investigation of two teens from Pennsylvania accused of an ISIS-inspired terror plot, federal agents have executed a raid on a storage facility in Bucks County. The probe centers around the alleged actions of Emir Balat, aged 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, aged 19, who are suspected of launching improvised explosive devices in an attack outside the New York City mayor’s residence.
The incident unfolded on a recent Saturday when Balat and Kayumi reportedly traveled from their hometowns of Langhorne and Newtown to Manhattan. It was there that police claim the duo ignited and threw explosive devices into a crowd protesting outside Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s home.
As the investigation intensified, a federal source disclosed to Fox News on Monday evening that authorities executed a search warrant at a facility known as Public Storage in Langhorne. This facility is believed to be linked to the ongoing terror investigation. The operation was captured by helicopter footage, showing a substantial law enforcement presence at the scene.
Images by Greg Wehner for Fox News Digital depicted a substantial law enforcement presence at the Public Storage facility in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, marking a crucial step in the unfolding investigation. The raid has drawn considerable attention as authorities seek further evidence in this alarming case.
A large law enforcement presence was seen outside a Public Storage facility in Langhorne, Pennsylvania on Monday, March 9. (Greg Wehner for Fox News Digital)
A large law enforcement presence was seen outside a Public Storage facility in Langhorne, Pennsylvania on Monday, March 9. (Greg Wehner for Fox News Digital)
A series of photographs captures the critical moments of an alleged ISIS-inspired bombing attempt outside the iconic Gracie Mansion.
The suspect, identified as Emir Balat, was seen holding the alleged bomb in front of Gracie’s Mansion in New York City. (United States District Court for the Southern District of New York)
Bomb in Hand:
The first image shows Balat holding what authorities later identified as Device-1 during the protest outside Gracie Mansion and then proceeding to throw it into the crowd of protesters and counterprotesters during the “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City” rally. According to the complaint, the device was approximately the size of a mason jar and had an attached fuse. Investigators later determined that it contained TATP and had nuts and bolts affixed to the exterior with duct tape.
One of the Pennsylvania suspects allegedly involved in an ISIS-inspired terror attack outside the New York City mayor’s residence is seen during the protest prior to his arrest. (United States District Court for the Southern District of New York)
Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi, charged in the Southern District of New York, are seen near the mayor’s residence before allegedly deploying improvised explosive devices. (United States District Court for the Southern District of New York)
Bomb Handling:
In a second photo, Balat is shown receiving Device-2 from Ibrahim Kayumi after the first device was allegedly thrown, authorities say. According to the complaint, Balat allegedly ran down the block and grabbed the second device from Kayumi before igniting it. Prosecutors allege he then dropped Device-2 near several NYPD officers.
The suspect appears to run away after he allegedly threw the explosive. (United States District Court for the Southern District of New York)
Throwing Bomb:
Another image shows Balat running from the area after Device-2 was dropped near several NYPD officers. According to the complaint, after he allegedly ignited the second device, he dropped it near the officers, ran away, and jumped over a barricade. The photograph captures Balat mid-flight as officers move toward the device, moments before he was tackled and arrested.
As federal prosecutors unsealed charges Monday, Kayumi’s father said he had no warning.
“If he’s going to be five minutes late, he calls,” Khayer Kayumi told The New York Times, describing how the family began searching for his son when he didn’t return home Saturday afternoon. “We didn’t know what was going on.”
A man is arrested after allegedly throwing a handmade smoke grenade during a “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City” protest on March 7, 2026. (Ryan Murphy/Getty Images)
According to the federal criminal complaint, Kayumi’s mother filed a missing person report just hours before the alleged attack. The report states she last saw him at their Pennsylvania residence at approximately 10:30 a.m. that morning.
A neighbor of Ibrahim Kayumi in Newtown confirmed to Fox News Digital that she lives next door to the family but declined to comment further. She said she did not wish to speak about Kayumi.
Violeta Sadauskiene, a neighbor of terror suspect Emir Balat, said she has known the Balat family for about 15 years, describing the family as “lovely people.”
“There was zero suspicious stuff going on at their house,” she told Phillyburbs.com. “Everybody was just in shock. Everyone. I could not believe it when I heard it. We thought it must be a mistake.”
Sadauskiene told the outlet that Balat’s parents were friendly and hardworking.
Balat is currently a 12th-grade student in the Neshaminy School District, a district spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital. The district declined to comment on whether he had any prior disciplinary history. Kayumi graduated in 2024 from Council Rock High School North, school officials confirmed.
In a message to families, Council Rock officials said they have been in communication with law enforcement and that there is no information indicating any threat or connection to the school district. Schools remain open and operating as normal.
Emir Balat family’s home in Pennsylvania. Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, were being held without bail after a court appearance Monday on charges that include attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and using a weapon of mass destruction. (Greg Wehner for Fox News Digital)
Ibrahim Kayumi family’s home in Pennsylvania was seen on Monday, March 9. (Greg Wehner for Fox News Digital)
Both districts serve residential Bucks County communities outside Philadelphia — quiet suburbs now linked to a federal terrorism investigation.
There is no publicly reported prior criminal history for either suspect. Authorities have not said whether Kayumi was enrolled in college or employed at the time.
Balat lived with his parents in Langhorne. His parents were born in Turkey and became naturalized U.S. citizens in 2017. Kayumi’s parents immigrated from Afghanistan and became citizens in 2004 and 2009.
On Sunday, FBI agents searched the homes of 19-year-old Ibrahim Kayumi in Newtown and 18-year-old Emir Balat in Langhorne. The home is seen here on Monday, March 9. (Greg Wehner for Fox News Digital)
According to the complaint filed in the Southern District of New York, investigators recovered a notebook from a vehicle parked blocks from the mayor’s home listing materials associated with triacetone triperoxide (TATP) production, including hydrogen peroxide, sulfuric acid and acetone, along with aluminum cans and bolts.
License plate reader data placed the vehicle crossing the George Washington Bridge less than an hour before the first device was allegedly thrown, prosecutors said.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed Monday that the devices were not smoke bombs or hoaxes, but real improvised explosive devices capable of causing serious injury or death.
“This is being investigated as an act of ISIS-inspired terrorism,” Tisch said.
Police later located a vehicle tied to the suspects and recovered a third suspicious device. That device ultimately tested negative for explosive material.
According to the federal complaint, Balat allegedly wrote and signed a pledge of allegiance to the Islamic State while at a precinct station after his arrest.
The complaint states he wrote: “All praise is due to Allah lord of all worlds! I pledge my allegiance to the Islamic State,” followed by additional statements expressing hostility toward non-believers. Prosecutors also allege he wrote, “We take action.”
The complaint further alleges that Balat stated he and Kayumi wanted to carry out an attack “bigger than the Boston Marathon bombing,” which he allegedly noted resulted in “only three deaths.”
Federal prosecutors charged the suspects with material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and use of a weapon of mass destruction.
Retired FBI supervisory special agent Jason Pack told Fox News Digital that the charging language is significant.
“Material support requires prosecutors to show the defendants knowingly supported a designated terrorist organization,” Pack said. “The selection of charges signals how prosecutors are framing the ISIS nexus evidence.”
NYPD Bomb Squad officers search a car allegedly belonging to an individual who attempted to throw a homemade explosive at police officers on March 8, 2026, in New York City. (Ryan Murphy/Getty)
The complaint also alleges Balat made spontaneous statements in a patrol vehicle. Kayumi allegedly made statements captured on bodycam video.
Two federal law enforcement sources confirmed to Fox News that investigators are examining whether the suspects may have become “self-radicalized.”
Authorities are reviewing digital evidence, online activity, communications and travel history. Officials have not alleged direct operational contact with ISIS, but are working to determine whether the suspects were inspired by extremist propaganda consumed online.
Pack noted that TATP is frequently associated with attackers who learned bomb-making methods online rather than through formal overseas training.
“When you see TATP in a domestic case, it often points to online radicalization,” he said.
Officials say there is no evidence at this time linking the attack to overseas hostilities.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said New York remains in a “heightened threat environment” following the alleged ISIS-inspired attack.
State Police are increasing patrols at sensitive sites statewide, Hochul said, and more than 1,000 National Guard members remain deployed to protect major transit hubs across New York City.
The Pennsylvania arrests come just months after federal authorities disrupted another alleged ISIS-inspired plot involving teenagers and young adults from suburban communities in New Jersey and Michigan.
Federal investigators intercepted this photo that they allege shows Tomas Jimenez-Guzel holding a knife in front of an ISIS flag. The upright index finger is also alleged to be an ISIS hand gesture. Jimenez-Guzel allegedly blurred his own face before transmitting the image. (Justice Department)
That case involved suspects accused of sharing ISIS propaganda and allegedly plotting violence while communicating in encrypted group chats.
There is no evidence the two cases are connected. However, both investigations highlight long-standing warnings from federal officials about the threat of young men radicalized online far from traditional conflict zones.
Pack said investigators are running parallel tracks.
“The criminal case builds the prosecution,” he said. “The intelligence side examines travel, communications, online activity and whether anyone else was involved.”
Mamdani released a statement reacting to the charges against Balat and Kayumi.
“Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi have been charged with committing a heinous act of terrorism and proclaiming their allegiance to ISIS. They should be held fully accountable for their actions,” he wrote. “We will continue to keep New Yorkers safe. We will not tolerate terrorism or violence in our city.”
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
