HOBOKEN, N.J. — A potential assassination scheme targeting a pro-Palestinian activist in New Jersey was foiled by the New York Police Department and the FBI, as revealed by the intended victim, law enforcement officials, and a criminal complaint made public in Newark on Friday.
Authorities executed a search warrant at the intersection of Willow Avenue and Clinton Street in Hoboken, resulting in at least one arrest.
Alexander Heifler was taken into custody on Thursday evening, facing charges related to the illegal possession and manufacturing of firearms. He is accused of planning an attack against Nerdeen Kiswani, a co-founder of Within Our Lifetime, an organization behind numerous pro-Palestinian demonstrations in New York City.
While Kiswani’s name is not mentioned in the official complaint, she disclosed on social media that the FBI had informed her she was the intended target of the plot.
In her public statement, Kiswani affirmed her commitment to advocating for Palestinian rights, undeterred by the threats against her life.
An undercover officer from the NYPD was pivotal in uncovering the plot. The officer identified Heifler’s activities online, infiltrated a group chat, built rapport, and successfully disrupted the plan.
The undercover officer personally witnessed Heifler making the eight Molotov cocktails in Hoboken Thursday which led to his arrest, officials say.
“Heifler also told the (undercover officer) that he had an address where they could hide out after they threw the Molotov cocktails” and discussed a plan to leave the country, the complaint said.
Authorities allege the plan was to throw the Molotov cocktails at Kiswani that night.
Law enforcement believes they stopped an imminent threat and the FBI said there is no threat to public safety.
Hoboken Mayor Emily B. Jabbour released a statement Friday and said there was “no danger to residents and no ongoing threat.”
(ABC News contributed to this report.)
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