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Two people have been arrested for planning an attack on substations in Baltimore with the aim of ‘destroying’ the city.
Sarah Beth Clendaniel of Maryland and Brandon Clint Russell of Florida have been charged with allegedly planning to attack the city’s power grid, with the attack believed to stem from “racially motivated violent extremist beliefs or ethnic”.
Their arrest was announced by the FBI and the US Attorney’s Office in Baltimore, who said the two extremists planned to bring the city to a standstill.
Clendaniel and Russell now face a litany of criminal charges, including conspiring to destroy a power facility, and FBI officials say they believe a “real threat” has been thwarted.
Pictures of the Maryland woman show her dressed in full tactical gear with swastika insignia, while Russell is allegedly a well-known neo-Nazi figure.
Sarah Beth Clendaniel, pictured, has been seen wearing full tactical gear with swastika insignia and holding a rifle.
The duo planned to target the city’s power grid, with the attack believed to have stemmed from “racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist beliefs.”
Clendaniel’s plan was discovered after he told an FBI informant about the plot to destroy five substations throughout the city, according to an affidavit filed by an FBI agent.
She reportedly revealed that if she and Russell hit them all on the same day, their plan would “wreck this whole town apart” and that “a good four or five shots to the center of them” would be all they’d need.
He further added that the attack “would probably completely destroy this city permanently if we could do it successfully.”
Clendaniel reportedly has ties to extremist views and repeatedly referred to Hitler and Unabomber Ted Kaczynski while discussing the plot.
Erek L. Barron, US Attorney for the District of Maryland, said in a statement: “This planned attack threatened lives and would have left thousands of Marylanders in the cold and dark.
“We are united and committed to using all legal means necessary to disrupt violence, including hate-fueled attacks.”
More than 61 percent of Baltimore’s population is black, and authorities believe the attack was a legitimate threat to the city’s 580,000 residents.
Special Agent Thomas J. Sobocinski of the FBI’s Baltimore field office said authorities were continuing to investigate extremist threats following the arrest.
“The threat posed by domestic violent extremists is evolving and persistent,” he said.
‘The FBI will continue to work closely with our law enforcement and private sector partners to identify and disrupt any potential threats to the safety of our citizens.
“The defendants were not just talking, they were taking action to carry out their threats and further their extremist goals.
‘Russell provided directions and location information. He described attacking power transformers as the best thing anyone could do.
“Their actions threatened the electricity and heat of our homes, hospitals and businesses.”
Clendaniel reportedly conspired to secure the weaponry as part of the extremist plot to leave Baltimore in the dark.
The foiled attack saw the two extremists attempt to use numerous weapons to destroy several Baltimore substations instantly.
The duo’s arrest affidavit reportedly revealed that the two defendants were in separate prisons when they first planned the attack and communicated online.
Clendaniel was previously convicted of robbing convenience stores, and Russell served time behind bars for possessing bomb-making materials.
The affidavit also alleges that Russell conspired to carry out the attacks because of his “racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist beliefs.”
Russell is one of the founders of the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division, which plans to “usher in the collapse of civilization,” according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Russell conspired to maximize the impact of the planned attack by hitting multiple substations at the same time, which he believed would cause a “cascading failure,” according to court documents.
He conspired with Clendaniel as the two also sought to secure the weapons and identify the appropriate substations to carry out the attack.
If convicted, Russell and Clendaniel each face up to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to damage a power facility, prosecutors said.
Former Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Brian Harrell told Fox News Digital on Monday that attacks on power facilities are an attractive target for those looking to cause maximum damage.
“The utility sector has a real problem on its hands,” he said.
“Power plants are an attractive target and domestic terrorist groups know that destroying this infrastructure can have a chilling effect on industry, citizens and local governments.
‘Attackers certainly understand what to shoot at and which assets are the most critical in a substation.
‘It is difficult to protect all energy assets. This would be a huge price that utility customers would have to pay.’
The foiled attack comes after a series of other attacks on the nation’s power grid in recent months, though it’s unclear if the incidents are related.
In early December two electrical substations were attacked in North Carolina, knocking out power to more than 45,000 homes and businesses.
Another attack on four substations was later carried out over Christmas near Tacoma, Washington, knocking out power to around 14,000 homes and businesses.