1 00:00:01,880 --> 00:00:05,480 Speaker 1: You're listening to Law and Order Criminal Justice System, a 2 00:00:05,559 --> 00:00:08,959 Speaker 1: production of Wolf Entertainment and iHeart podcasts. 3 00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:16,520 Speaker 2: In the criminal justice system, landmark trials transcend the courtroom 4 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:19,960 Speaker 2: to reshape the law. The brave many women who investigate 5 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:22,880 Speaker 2: and prosecute these cases are part of a select group 6 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:31,680 Speaker 2: that is defined American history. These are their stories. September eleventh, 7 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:35,680 Speaker 2: two thousand and one, New York City. 8 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:40,000 Speaker 1: It started as a beautiful fall morning, crisp air and 9 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 1: bright blue sky. People grab coffee, caught subways and ported 10 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:49,519 Speaker 1: to offices. Then a jetliner slammed into the North tower 11 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 1: of the World Trade Center. It appeared to back sharply 12 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 1: and smash directly, perhaps purposefully, into a. 13 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:02,800 Speaker 3: On the thirty sixth floor, facing west. And I had 14 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:05,720 Speaker 3: just commuted through the Trade Center, and I saw the 15 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:09,760 Speaker 3: side of the north tower explode, and I instinctively yelled, 16 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 3: and I got a bomb as I saw papers floating 17 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:16,000 Speaker 3: in the air and fire ripping through the building, and 18 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:19,119 Speaker 3: it looked to me like a giant air conditioner kind 19 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:21,560 Speaker 3: of tumble out of the side of the building. When 20 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:24,280 Speaker 3: I yelled bomb, my friend said, no plane hit it, 21 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 3: But I didn't see the plane from the angle I was, 22 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:30,120 Speaker 3: but I saw the explosion and hre like, oh my god, 23 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:33,040 Speaker 3: it's a perfect day out. How could that be a plane. 24 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 1: Seventeen minutes later, a second plane hit. 25 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 4: Oh, oh my goodness, there's another one. Seems to be 26 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:41,039 Speaker 4: on purpose. 27 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:42,120 Speaker 5: Oh my goodness. 28 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 6: Now you lean. 29 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 5: Now it's obvious. 30 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:48,240 Speaker 3: I think that there's a second plane just crashed into 31 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:50,960 Speaker 3: the World Trade Center. And then I saw the South 32 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:53,640 Speaker 3: tower explode. So I got the hell out of the building, 33 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 3: you know. I knew that it was a terror attack, 34 00:01:56,520 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 3: and I didn't want to be killed. 35 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:03,360 Speaker 1: At the Pentagon, flames rose from a gaping hole in 36 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 1: its western wall. In Pennsylvania, a fourth plane crashed into 37 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:10,440 Speaker 1: a field after passengers fought back. 38 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 4: It is absolutely an appalling day, not only here in Manhattan, 39 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:19,080 Speaker 4: but also in Washington, where the Pentagon also was apparently 40 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 4: the subject of a strike by one of these hijacked 41 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:23,679 Speaker 4: airliners flying bombs. 42 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: Sirens wailed across Lower Manhattan. Crowds ran as the towers fell, 43 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:32,240 Speaker 1: ash and paper drifted from the sky. 44 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 7: I saw the building. 45 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 2: Say that again, I didn't hear you. 46 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:41,840 Speaker 1: That's the building just coming down. By the end of 47 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:46,120 Speaker 1: the morning, thousands were dead, and for families across New 48 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:51,520 Speaker 1: York and far beyond. The grief was overwhelming. Joe Connor 49 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 1: was among them. His cousin Steve, worked in the towers. 50 00:02:56,400 --> 00:02:59,000 Speaker 3: We went into the Saint Patrick's Churches, a little church 51 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:01,400 Speaker 3: down in like China Town, and I came out of 52 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:04,919 Speaker 3: there and the smoke was around them. They had collapsed. Actually, 53 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 3: while we were in the church saying at prayer, I 54 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:07,919 Speaker 3: knew Steve wasn't. 55 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:11,960 Speaker 1: Come at home. In the middle of that devastation. Joe 56 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 1: also recognized the fragile line between life and death. People 57 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:20,079 Speaker 1: within feet of each other were only mere blocks. Some 58 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 1: survived and others did not. But the attacks left another 59 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:28,519 Speaker 1: truth as well. Even with its many safeguards in place, 60 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:33,399 Speaker 1: law enforcement hadn't seen this coming incomprehensible. 61 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 5: We plan for all kinds of terrorist. 62 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:42,760 Speaker 3: Attacks, a biological warfare, chemical warfare, but nobody envisioned to 63 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:45,400 Speaker 3: commercial airlines slamming into the World Trade Center. 64 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 1: It was the single deadliest terrorist attack ever in the world, 65 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:55,600 Speaker 1: and in the days that followed, leaders vowed change. 66 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:59,240 Speaker 7: This is a vicious attack upon New York, It's an 67 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 7: attack upon America. It's an attack upon the whole concept 68 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 7: of freedom in our way of life. And we cannot 69 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 7: let these attacks succeed. 70 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:12,120 Speaker 1: The mission was clear, never again. 71 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:24,680 Speaker 6: I got a call, get out to LaGuardia Airport. There's 72 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:25,280 Speaker 6: been a bombing. 73 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 1: There was a thirty two foot crater in front of 74 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 1: what was left of the building. I was trying to 75 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 1: figure out, Am I dead? Am I alive? Where am I? 76 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:33,640 Speaker 1: I'm Aniseega NICOLASI. 77 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:36,960 Speaker 3: That's why terrorism works. It doesn't care who you are. 78 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:42,720 Speaker 1: From Wolf Entertainment and iHeart podcasts, this is law and order, 79 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 1: criminal justice system. The months after the nine to eleven 80 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:57,799 Speaker 1: attacks were marked by thousands of funerals. Nearly three thousand 81 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:01,000 Speaker 1: lives were lost that day, and for almost a year, 82 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 1: recovery teams moved around the clock at ground zero, one 83 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 1: point eight million tons of rubble were removed in the 84 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:14,360 Speaker 1: search for remains and answers for families, first responders, and 85 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:18,520 Speaker 1: an entire city. Life would never be the same, and 86 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 1: for the country, everything felt different. A sense of safety 87 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:29,040 Speaker 1: had vanished. In response, law enforcement knew they needed to 88 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 1: meet new threats head on. Prevention became the ultimate goal. 89 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:38,279 Speaker 1: The Joint Terrorism Task Force already existed in New York 90 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:42,159 Speaker 1: pre nine to eleven, but after this it was transformed. 91 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:48,400 Speaker 1: Its ranks swelled with agents, detectives, prosecutors, and analysts. The 92 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:53,320 Speaker 1: walls between agencies came down, and the JTTF became a 93 00:05:53,440 --> 00:05:57,119 Speaker 1: massive coalition. Here's one of the people who was brought 94 00:05:57,120 --> 00:05:57,800 Speaker 1: into that fight. 95 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:02,320 Speaker 8: My name is Robert As. I was investigator for the 96 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 8: New York Joint Terrorism Task Force and I was an 97 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:07,280 Speaker 8: investigator for the threat Squad. 98 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 1: Robert was part of the Brooklyn DA's office, but his 99 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:15,360 Speaker 1: path changed course when the FBI came looking for reinforcements. 100 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 8: I went over to the JGTF in two thousand and three. 101 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:23,000 Speaker 8: I was working in a threat squad, and at that point, 102 00:06:23,040 --> 00:06:25,680 Speaker 8: even two years after nine to eleven, we had thousands 103 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:27,640 Speaker 8: and thousands of leads that we were just running down 104 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 8: from a call center that came from calls from the public. 105 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:35,240 Speaker 1: Most of those tips led nowhere, But one night in 106 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:39,360 Speaker 1: early two thousand and six, Robert got something that felt different. 107 00:06:40,320 --> 00:06:42,360 Speaker 8: I was working the four twelve shift and it was 108 00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:44,440 Speaker 8: kind of late at night, and I got the lead. 109 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:48,880 Speaker 1: The details were thin, but the subject was alarming. 110 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 8: This individual that was from Brooklyn but was down in Guyana, 111 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:56,960 Speaker 8: South America, was talking about blowing up the pipelines. That 112 00:06:57,040 --> 00:06:58,960 Speaker 8: led to the fuel tanks a chafcreport. 113 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:03,040 Speaker 1: The first step was to look into the person purportedly 114 00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:05,880 Speaker 1: making the threats to help assess if it was real 115 00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:06,839 Speaker 1: or just talk. 116 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:10,840 Speaker 8: Subsequently, we did some background checks on the person that 117 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:14,960 Speaker 8: supposedly was making the threats. Russell defriedis the fact that 118 00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:17,680 Speaker 8: the person worked at JFK can keep it a little 119 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:18,280 Speaker 8: more validity. 120 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:23,440 Speaker 1: What began as a vague tip suddenly felt legitimate. It 121 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:27,560 Speaker 1: meant to FreeDOS knew the airport, its routines, and its vulnerabilities, 122 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:32,080 Speaker 1: and that made his threat far harder to dismiss. This 123 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:37,560 Speaker 1: was now aunofficial investigation. A potential plan to blow up 124 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:42,280 Speaker 1: pipelines at JFK Airport quickly got the attention of other agencies. 125 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:47,360 Speaker 9: My name is Marshall Lee Miller, and I worked for 126 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:50,520 Speaker 9: many years at the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern 127 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:51,800 Speaker 9: District of New York. 128 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:56,480 Speaker 1: The Joint Terrorism Task Force was built on the concept 129 00:07:56,520 --> 00:08:01,640 Speaker 1: of partnership. From the beginning, prosecutors were looped in navigating 130 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 1: the legal side, working alongside investigators. 131 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:07,880 Speaker 9: The US Attorney's offices, both in the Eastern and the 132 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 9: Southern District of New York were embedded essentially in the JTTFS. 133 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:16,960 Speaker 9: We had investigators that worked with their colleagues at the JTTF, 134 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:22,160 Speaker 9: and prosecutors were there regularly working through cases and doing 135 00:08:22,240 --> 00:08:26,120 Speaker 9: intake of cases and discussing how to assign cases and 136 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:28,800 Speaker 9: how to divide cases between the Eastern and southern districts 137 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:29,280 Speaker 9: of New York. 138 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:34,280 Speaker 1: In every case, the stakes were the same. Public safety 139 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:36,000 Speaker 1: was number one. 140 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:39,320 Speaker 9: Job Number one for the Joint Terrorism Task Force and 141 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 9: all of its members is making sure that there is 142 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:47,160 Speaker 9: no terrorist attack. So one of the first orders of 143 00:08:47,240 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 9: business was to try to figure out how real this 144 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:53,679 Speaker 9: potential plot was. 145 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:58,240 Speaker 1: The question was how to get close enough to find out. 146 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:02,440 Speaker 9: Really early stage, One of the first things that was 147 00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:06,840 Speaker 9: done was to look to see whether there was a 148 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:11,880 Speaker 9: source of information working with law enforcement that had any 149 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:16,839 Speaker 9: kind of connectivity to Russell Defriedis, the individual that had 150 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:19,880 Speaker 9: been identified by that incoming tip. 151 00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:25,480 Speaker 1: Law enforcement began piecing together Defritas's background, and. 152 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:29,199 Speaker 9: It quickly became apparent that mister Defritis was a naturalized 153 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:32,480 Speaker 9: US citizen from Guyana and that he had worked as 154 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:36,240 Speaker 9: a baggage handler at John F. Kennedy International Airport in 155 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:37,400 Speaker 9: years past. 156 00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:40,880 Speaker 1: But knowing his backstory wasn't enough. 157 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:46,200 Speaker 9: In all of these investigations, all of the players involved 158 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:48,920 Speaker 9: are always worrying about whether they are seeing the whole 159 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:52,280 Speaker 9: picture or whether you're only seeing part of the picture. 160 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:55,480 Speaker 9: And like an iceberg below the waterline, there's some much 161 00:09:55,520 --> 00:09:59,960 Speaker 9: bigger thing happening with activity that's outside of your site 162 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:04,359 Speaker 9: line that might result in an attack while you're investigating. 163 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:09,880 Speaker 8: Our first investigative step would be to verify the information 164 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:12,199 Speaker 8: that we had to see if this person was talking 165 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:15,440 Speaker 8: about blowing up the pipelines, the goal would be to 166 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:19,920 Speaker 8: get an informant to meet mister Defriedis and to have 167 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:22,440 Speaker 8: that same conversation with them again to see if it 168 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:23,000 Speaker 8: is valid. 169 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:26,760 Speaker 1: They couldn't send just anyone into talk to the Friedas 170 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:31,960 Speaker 1: whoever went in had to be credible and cautious. Agents 171 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:35,560 Speaker 1: spent weeks coming through files looking for someone who could 172 00:10:35,679 --> 00:10:37,920 Speaker 1: naturally slip into de Freedis's orbit. 173 00:10:38,880 --> 00:10:42,160 Speaker 8: We were looking through the FBI database for different reports 174 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:46,480 Speaker 8: of interviews and different information about FBI informants throughout the country. 175 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:49,360 Speaker 8: It would be days and weeks of just reading reports 176 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:52,280 Speaker 8: of different FBI informants, and not just for terrorists, about 177 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:54,679 Speaker 8: the criminal informants, just to find the right fit. So 178 00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:58,120 Speaker 8: we came across an individual that had some ties to 179 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:01,760 Speaker 8: a local mosque in Brooklyn that mister Defritas also had 180 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:02,200 Speaker 8: ties to. 181 00:11:03,400 --> 00:11:06,600 Speaker 1: For law enforcement, the decision to use an informant is 182 00:11:06,679 --> 00:11:11,880 Speaker 1: really an easy one. Credibility and reliability are always an issue, 183 00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:15,800 Speaker 1: but if their information can be corroborated, it can sometimes 184 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:17,320 Speaker 1: be worth its weight in gold. 185 00:11:18,559 --> 00:11:22,000 Speaker 9: And so the next step was for the source that 186 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:27,719 Speaker 9: was identified who had acquaintances and friends in common with 187 00:11:27,840 --> 00:11:32,040 Speaker 9: mister Defritis. That's when he was identified and brought in 188 00:11:32,080 --> 00:11:36,560 Speaker 9: to speak with investigators and then sent to places that 189 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:40,640 Speaker 9: were where mister Defritis was known to frequent based on 190 00:11:40,679 --> 00:11:43,959 Speaker 9: some initial surveillance, so that they could bump into each 191 00:11:43,960 --> 00:11:47,280 Speaker 9: other in as natural way as possible, and the intent 192 00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:49,680 Speaker 9: would be for them to strike up a conversation and 193 00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:54,760 Speaker 9: see whether mister Defritis would ultimately open up to the source. 194 00:11:55,960 --> 00:11:59,640 Speaker 1: With the plan in place, the case shifted. Here's former 195 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:01,920 Speaker 1: FBI Special Agent Kim Widow. 196 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:06,040 Speaker 5: My role was the source handler. That was a full 197 00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:11,679 Speaker 5: time job and tires why because during the day we 198 00:12:11,679 --> 00:12:14,839 Speaker 5: were riding up the reports that he was providing us, 199 00:12:14,920 --> 00:12:18,880 Speaker 5: we were listening to the recordings that were being made 200 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:22,240 Speaker 5: in his truck that he was getting when he was 201 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:25,720 Speaker 5: sitting in a cafe with the Fritis or just running around. 202 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:30,560 Speaker 5: We were getting the permissions for him to conduct consential monitoring, 203 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:34,480 Speaker 5: to fly to Guyana, meeting with him to debrief him, 204 00:12:35,040 --> 00:12:37,000 Speaker 5: and late night phone calls. 205 00:12:38,320 --> 00:12:40,960 Speaker 1: Kim recalls the background of the man they chose. 206 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:45,959 Speaker 5: Our source had just gotten out of federal prison and 207 00:12:46,679 --> 00:12:51,600 Speaker 5: had converted to Islam in prison, so he was able 208 00:12:51,679 --> 00:12:55,839 Speaker 5: to move in a variety of different groups within New York. 209 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:59,839 Speaker 5: There are two different sects of Islam, Sunni and she, 210 00:13:00,559 --> 00:13:04,800 Speaker 5: and being a new convert, he was able to explore 211 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:08,000 Speaker 5: both of them without raising any type of suspicion. And 212 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:10,319 Speaker 5: they found out that they knew some folks in common 213 00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:15,120 Speaker 5: that gave our source an inn and some bona fides 214 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:16,520 Speaker 5: with the Fretis. 215 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:20,240 Speaker 1: To protect his identity, he would be known by a 216 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:20,960 Speaker 1: single name. 217 00:13:22,040 --> 00:13:24,480 Speaker 5: What he was known as in the plot was honest, 218 00:13:24,920 --> 00:13:26,440 Speaker 5: so we'll call him honest. 219 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:32,760 Speaker 1: In reality. Most cooperators don't come forward out of civic duty. 220 00:13:32,760 --> 00:13:36,320 Speaker 1: More often they are driven by self interest, like resolving 221 00:13:36,320 --> 00:13:39,960 Speaker 1: their own charges or for money, and a NASA agreed 222 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:42,359 Speaker 1: to cooperate was no different. 223 00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:47,200 Speaker 9: In this matter. This source was out on bail and 224 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:50,920 Speaker 9: had a pending sentencing that needed to take place, and 225 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:55,679 Speaker 9: so he was cooperating largely because he was hoping for 226 00:13:55,720 --> 00:13:59,040 Speaker 9: a reduced sentence in exchange for his cooperation. 227 00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:02,600 Speaker 5: To be his full time job. And to that end, 228 00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:06,400 Speaker 5: we were going to provide him with a stipend that 229 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:10,160 Speaker 5: would enable him to pay rent on a very modest 230 00:14:10,240 --> 00:14:13,720 Speaker 5: place in New York City and to have a vehicle. Also, 231 00:14:14,120 --> 00:14:17,000 Speaker 5: as we got to know this individual, he was a 232 00:14:17,240 --> 00:14:20,080 Speaker 5: very I don't want to say patriotic, but New York 233 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:23,520 Speaker 5: City was his city and he didn't want anybody to 234 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:26,840 Speaker 5: do another nine to eleven type attack. He didn't want 235 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:30,000 Speaker 5: his friends and family to be subject to that in 236 00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:33,320 Speaker 5: New York City. So it was a combination of all 237 00:14:33,360 --> 00:14:36,520 Speaker 5: of those things that motivated him. 238 00:14:37,120 --> 00:14:40,120 Speaker 1: A NAS had another quality that made him stand out 239 00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:42,280 Speaker 1: his ability to blend in. 240 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:48,320 Speaker 5: We found somebody who was very charismatic, very able to 241 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:53,080 Speaker 5: adapt to all kinds of different situations, and who was 242 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:57,360 Speaker 5: very street smart. So this was somebody that we had 243 00:14:57,720 --> 00:15:02,880 Speaker 5: lucked into that could move in various different circles and 244 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:07,680 Speaker 5: be a chameleon and do whatever the situation required him 245 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:11,600 Speaker 5: to do. He had survived in a bad neighborhood and 246 00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:16,560 Speaker 5: associations with drug dealing organizations before he went to prison 247 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:20,640 Speaker 5: the last time, and just had a ton of street smarts. 248 00:15:21,640 --> 00:15:24,520 Speaker 1: The mission for a noose was clear. Get close to 249 00:15:24,600 --> 00:15:28,520 Speaker 1: Russell Defriedis and find out whether his talk of blowing 250 00:15:28,600 --> 00:15:33,160 Speaker 1: up JFK was just words or an actual plan. 251 00:15:34,240 --> 00:15:39,040 Speaker 5: If he actually potentially could come up with an operational plot, 252 00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:42,840 Speaker 5: or if he has contacts with somebody who could come 253 00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:48,160 Speaker 5: up with a real plan against either JFK or any 254 00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:49,520 Speaker 5: other target in New York City. 255 00:15:50,720 --> 00:15:55,600 Speaker 1: A successful strike could ripple through national security and global travel. 256 00:15:57,040 --> 00:16:01,320 Speaker 5: It is one of the biggest airports in the particularly 257 00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:07,480 Speaker 5: for international flights. The sheer physical size of JFK Airport 258 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:13,400 Speaker 5: is huge. It has multiple terminals, hundreds of flights coming 259 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:18,920 Speaker 5: in every hour departing, and there is a large support 260 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:25,360 Speaker 5: operation there. The mail from overseas comes in cargo. Pretty 261 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:27,920 Speaker 5: much any and everything you can think of that comes 262 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:32,080 Speaker 5: into the United States can come in through JFK Airport. 263 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:37,880 Speaker 5: It's also located in Queens, in an area right off 264 00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:42,600 Speaker 5: of a very busy interstate. It's in a high density 265 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:48,600 Speaker 5: neighborhood and on the edge of JFK right before you 266 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:51,840 Speaker 5: leave the premises and go into one of these high 267 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:57,680 Speaker 5: density neighborhoods, there's tanks and tanks of aviation fuel for 268 00:16:57,760 --> 00:17:01,400 Speaker 5: refueling all of the air line traffic that comes in 269 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:06,120 Speaker 5: and out of JFK, and that was where the focus 270 00:17:06,320 --> 00:17:10,680 Speaker 5: was of this JFK plot was on those fuel storage 271 00:17:10,720 --> 00:17:15,320 Speaker 5: tanks and the line that came in through queens that 272 00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:18,520 Speaker 5: brought the fuel into those tanks for the airplanes going 273 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:19,520 Speaker 5: in and out of JFK. 274 00:17:21,600 --> 00:17:24,399 Speaker 1: And NAS would need to get close to Russell Defrieda's 275 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:27,840 Speaker 1: and it wouldn't be easy. It was a balancing act 276 00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:30,600 Speaker 1: for law enforcement as well. 277 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:34,159 Speaker 5: We have to walk a thin line between putting a 278 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:39,280 Speaker 5: human source into an investigation and making sure that they 279 00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:43,720 Speaker 5: don't entrap a subject. So at the beginning, we really 280 00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:47,840 Speaker 5: didn't tell the source anything more than just hey, here's 281 00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:50,840 Speaker 5: where this sky's going to be, go meeting, go tell 282 00:17:50,920 --> 00:17:52,560 Speaker 5: us about him. 283 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:55,479 Speaker 1: And NAS had to figure out where Defridis went and 284 00:17:55,520 --> 00:17:59,120 Speaker 1: how he spent his time and then try to naturally 285 00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:02,399 Speaker 1: cross his path, and the FBI would help. 286 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:08,520 Speaker 5: We have to use least intrusive investigative means, and one 287 00:18:08,560 --> 00:18:13,000 Speaker 5: of the least intrusive means is just physical surveillance, just 288 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:17,000 Speaker 5: following somebody around, and the case squad had followed the 289 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:21,680 Speaker 5: FreeDOS around found out that he was selling some goods 290 00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:25,200 Speaker 5: at Gertz Plaza mall in Queen's. 291 00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:30,000 Speaker 1: That gave a nosin opening when we knew. 292 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:33,840 Speaker 5: What his routine was. You just have the source bump 293 00:18:33,920 --> 00:18:37,760 Speaker 5: into them. So he was able to offer to freed 294 00:18:37,800 --> 00:18:40,280 Speaker 5: Us a ride to Freedis didn't have a car, so 295 00:18:40,359 --> 00:18:43,680 Speaker 5: that was one of the early things, just driving him 296 00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:46,160 Speaker 5: to wherever he needed to go and chatting. 297 00:18:47,320 --> 00:18:48,879 Speaker 1: Their relationship grew quickly. 298 00:18:50,040 --> 00:18:52,360 Speaker 5: They went out for meals a lot of the time. 299 00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:54,679 Speaker 5: Da Freedis didn't have a lot of money, so he 300 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:58,640 Speaker 5: liked the fact that our source was paying for meals. 301 00:18:58,880 --> 00:19:02,360 Speaker 5: After they got out and run a few errands, and 302 00:19:02,880 --> 00:19:05,719 Speaker 5: he just kind of began to rely on the source 303 00:19:06,359 --> 00:19:12,200 Speaker 5: as his assistant, his helper, his confidant, and that relationship 304 00:19:12,359 --> 00:19:17,879 Speaker 5: just developed as they worked together and broke bread together. 305 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:22,119 Speaker 1: Those small favors soon turned into trust. 306 00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:28,200 Speaker 5: At first, we weren't recording the conversations because consentual monitoring 307 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:31,760 Speaker 5: has to have certain approvals. We had to get the 308 00:19:32,200 --> 00:19:35,119 Speaker 5: AUSA on board for that. We had to get FBI 309 00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:39,679 Speaker 5: management on board to send him out with recording devices. 310 00:19:40,040 --> 00:19:43,160 Speaker 5: So we had to make sure that he really was 311 00:19:43,720 --> 00:19:47,480 Speaker 5: talking about committing an act of violence before we could 312 00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:51,439 Speaker 5: do that. And it was pretty quick for Defreedos to 313 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:54,520 Speaker 5: bring him into confidence on the fact that he wanted 314 00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:55,760 Speaker 5: to do something. 315 00:19:56,640 --> 00:20:00,280 Speaker 1: And from there law enforcement sprang into action. 316 00:20:01,440 --> 00:20:05,359 Speaker 5: We were able to wire up the source and listen 317 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:06,600 Speaker 5: to the conversations. 318 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:12,439 Speaker 1: The surveillance then widened, phone calls, in person meetings, and 319 00:20:12,640 --> 00:20:17,919 Speaker 1: every conversation in between. The rhetoric wasn't just casual bluster. 320 00:20:19,160 --> 00:20:21,840 Speaker 8: When Russell Lfriedez talked about the plot, he just had 321 00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:24,879 Speaker 8: this passion in his voice that gave you chills that 322 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:27,760 Speaker 8: he really wanted to do something. He just had this hatred. 323 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:33,080 Speaker 1: Defriedis's motives were tangled. It was a shifting mix of 324 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:34,840 Speaker 1: grievances and ambition. 325 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:40,480 Speaker 9: I certainly think a primary motivation was the view that 326 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:43,720 Speaker 9: there was a conflict going on between the United States 327 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:49,080 Speaker 9: and other allies of the United States, Israel, Europe, other places, 328 00:20:49,359 --> 00:20:52,439 Speaker 9: and the Muslim world, and that this would be something 329 00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:55,840 Speaker 9: sort of a geehad that mister de Friedez could engage 330 00:20:55,880 --> 00:20:59,240 Speaker 9: in as part of doing his part in that conflict. 331 00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:02,600 Speaker 1: There were also more personal dimensions. 332 00:21:03,720 --> 00:21:06,679 Speaker 9: At times he would gripe about the way he was 333 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:10,439 Speaker 9: treated as an African American and as a Muslim at 334 00:21:10,480 --> 00:21:12,760 Speaker 9: the airport by people when he worked there. 335 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:17,080 Speaker 1: And sometimes his ambitions veered more towards greed. 336 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:20,199 Speaker 9: There were moments where there was talk about whether they 337 00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:23,520 Speaker 9: could sell the idea and make some money off it, 338 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:28,200 Speaker 9: as well to different higher level and more well trained 339 00:21:28,560 --> 00:21:32,360 Speaker 9: terrorist actors and groups, groups like Al Qaeda, the Iranian 340 00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:37,760 Speaker 9: Revolutionary Guard Corps or IERGC terrorist group in Trinidad known 341 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:38,560 Speaker 9: as Jamatt al. 342 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:45,119 Speaker 1: Muslimin Investigators also realized that Defridis was searching for significance, 343 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:49,320 Speaker 1: a way to turn his anger into action, and before 344 00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:53,760 Speaker 1: long his talks with Anas veered into specific schemes. 345 00:21:54,880 --> 00:21:56,680 Speaker 8: Once he started opening up a little bit, it happened 346 00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:59,680 Speaker 8: fairly quickly where he started talking about the JFK PLUT. 347 00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:05,439 Speaker 1: What came next erased any doubt. This was a plan 348 00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:08,360 Speaker 1: for mass destruction and there. 349 00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:10,440 Speaker 8: Would be something that was bigger than nine to eleven. 350 00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:25,200 Speaker 1: By the spring of two thousand and six, FBI informant 351 00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:29,439 Speaker 1: Anas had become a confidant of Russell Defriedis, who was 352 00:22:29,520 --> 00:22:34,280 Speaker 1: threatening a large scale terrorist attack and once Defrieda's trusted Anas, 353 00:22:34,400 --> 00:22:35,879 Speaker 1: he talked a lot. 354 00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:41,480 Speaker 5: He felt very comfortable, very quickly opening up that, hey, 355 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:45,200 Speaker 5: it would be easy to attack that fuel farm out 356 00:22:45,280 --> 00:22:50,159 Speaker 5: at JFK, and JFK is a huge airport. I believe 357 00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:54,360 Speaker 5: one of his quotes was, it's named after President Kennedy, 358 00:22:54,560 --> 00:22:56,600 Speaker 5: and if you could blow up the airport, it would 359 00:22:56,600 --> 00:22:59,640 Speaker 5: be like killing the man twice. He wanted to make 360 00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:04,760 Speaker 5: a very big splash his budding career is a want 361 00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:05,760 Speaker 5: to be terrorist. 362 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:09,480 Speaker 1: And Nas quickly became the one Deafriedis leaned on. 363 00:23:10,560 --> 00:23:14,760 Speaker 5: Defridis didn't seem to have any other very close acquaintances 364 00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:18,840 Speaker 5: in New York, so he latched onto the source fairly 365 00:23:18,960 --> 00:23:22,439 Speaker 5: quickly and started bringing him into the plot. 366 00:23:23,640 --> 00:23:27,120 Speaker 1: The scope of the case soon expanded beyond New York. 367 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:32,119 Speaker 9: It became quite clear quite quickly that mister Defritis was 368 00:23:32,520 --> 00:23:36,919 Speaker 9: actively considering engaging in terrorist activity, and that he was 369 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:39,760 Speaker 9: reaching out to and was already in contact with a 370 00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:45,000 Speaker 9: number of potential co conspirators overseas in Trinidad and Guyana. 371 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:48,399 Speaker 5: I believe he also told the source at one time 372 00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:52,240 Speaker 5: that it was the Middle Eastern Muslims that were getting 373 00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:58,119 Speaker 5: all of the credit for defending their religion against the 374 00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:02,880 Speaker 5: American oppressors, and there were plenty of folks down in 375 00:24:02,920 --> 00:24:06,160 Speaker 5: Guyana and in the Caribbean who were willing to take 376 00:24:06,240 --> 00:24:09,240 Speaker 5: up arms for the cause as well. In a matter 377 00:24:09,280 --> 00:24:11,880 Speaker 5: of months, he was suggesting that they take a trip 378 00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:15,480 Speaker 5: down to Guyana to meet these folks and to try 379 00:24:15,480 --> 00:24:16,879 Speaker 5: to get some help for the plot. 380 00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:20,920 Speaker 8: And that's when he came across Abdul Kadir in Guyana. 381 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:23,960 Speaker 8: He pitched the idea to Abdul Kadir, and Abdul Kadir 382 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:24,879 Speaker 8: took an interest. 383 00:24:24,600 --> 00:24:28,000 Speaker 1: In the plot, and Kadir was well connected. 384 00:24:29,040 --> 00:24:31,760 Speaker 8: Abdulkadir was involved in the government in Guyana. He was 385 00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:34,359 Speaker 8: in the parliament and he was the mayor of this 386 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:38,120 Speaker 8: town of Lynden, Guyana. It's also ran a mosque in Guyana. 387 00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:42,080 Speaker 1: Kadir's connections made the plot more viable. 388 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:44,920 Speaker 8: A lot of the conversations had to do with the 389 00:24:44,920 --> 00:24:48,679 Speaker 8: funding of it in Abdul Kadir's contacts. Abdul Kadir had 390 00:24:48,680 --> 00:24:51,400 Speaker 8: contacts in Iran, and that was something that we were 391 00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:52,600 Speaker 8: very concerned about. 392 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:56,680 Speaker 1: The investigation had reached a turning point. 393 00:24:57,359 --> 00:24:59,480 Speaker 8: To us, it appeared they start to have the means 394 00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:03,200 Speaker 8: of inducting an operation. They had an individual that, according 395 00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:05,840 Speaker 8: to him, he had access to funds, to weapons, and 396 00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:09,320 Speaker 8: access to individuals outside of our country and of Guyana 397 00:25:09,359 --> 00:25:10,960 Speaker 8: that could possibly help with this plot. 398 00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:14,600 Speaker 1: And Kadir wasn't the only new name. 399 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:18,960 Speaker 8: So at that point, Kadeer introduced the Friedas and the 400 00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:22,800 Speaker 8: Nas to some contacts in Trinidad. So they went to 401 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:26,600 Speaker 8: Trinidad and met Kareem Ibraheim. He was an imam in 402 00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:29,399 Speaker 8: Trinidad that supposedly had connections that could get the plot 403 00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:32,240 Speaker 8: off the ground, and that's why Kadir introduced to Friedis 404 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:35,399 Speaker 8: to Kareem. So the fourth individual was abdel Noir. He 405 00:25:35,440 --> 00:25:36,919 Speaker 8: was an associated of Bbram Kareem. 406 00:25:38,560 --> 00:25:41,440 Speaker 1: In the span of months, a grudge carried by one 407 00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:46,080 Speaker 1: man in Brooklyn had become a multi national conspiracy linking 408 00:25:46,119 --> 00:25:48,399 Speaker 1: New York, Guyana, and Trinidad. 409 00:25:49,560 --> 00:25:52,359 Speaker 8: There was a lot of conversation about how long we 410 00:25:52,359 --> 00:25:54,400 Speaker 8: should go with this and let it go. There were 411 00:25:54,440 --> 00:25:58,280 Speaker 8: definitely some voices within the FBI that wanted to take 412 00:25:58,320 --> 00:26:00,440 Speaker 8: it down at that point and arrest freed. 413 00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:05,200 Speaker 1: S, But for the agent's closest to the investigation, the 414 00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:09,480 Speaker 1: path was clear. Let to freedis keep talking, keep planning 415 00:26:09,680 --> 00:26:12,480 Speaker 1: and see who else would emerge. 416 00:26:12,760 --> 00:26:15,680 Speaker 8: It wasn't our informant that was in charge of this, 417 00:26:15,840 --> 00:26:18,080 Speaker 8: It was to Friedas that was leading it and looking 418 00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:19,840 Speaker 8: for other people to do this. So we felt it 419 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:23,080 Speaker 8: was necessary to let that progress on its own and 420 00:26:23,119 --> 00:26:25,560 Speaker 8: see where it went before we took it down. 421 00:26:25,960 --> 00:26:30,320 Speaker 1: And the further the plot deepened, the more danger for Anas. 422 00:26:31,600 --> 00:26:34,119 Speaker 5: We had to take a lot of different tactics to 423 00:26:34,240 --> 00:26:36,879 Speaker 5: keep him safe. We had a team down there that 424 00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:40,439 Speaker 5: was shadowing him, but they couldn't get too close. He 425 00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:43,359 Speaker 5: was living and staying with some of the co conspirators, 426 00:26:43,560 --> 00:26:45,560 Speaker 5: so he was living this twenty four to seven while 427 00:26:45,560 --> 00:26:47,480 Speaker 5: he was in Guyana. 428 00:26:47,840 --> 00:26:51,800 Speaker 1: Every day brought new risks, not only for him but 429 00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:53,920 Speaker 1: for the people waiting for him at home. 430 00:26:55,040 --> 00:26:58,159 Speaker 5: When we first started working with him, he was single 431 00:26:58,160 --> 00:27:01,480 Speaker 5: and fancy free, and by the into this married with 432 00:27:01,600 --> 00:27:05,199 Speaker 5: the family, so that was very difficult for him to juggle. 433 00:27:06,440 --> 00:27:09,880 Speaker 1: The jtt APP needed to ensure the safety of his 434 00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:13,760 Speaker 1: family too, and Nas couldn't keep the secret any longer. 435 00:27:14,920 --> 00:27:17,679 Speaker 5: At some point, the source had to bring his wife 436 00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:21,320 Speaker 5: into this and let her know that hey working for 437 00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:23,919 Speaker 5: the government. This is why I'm gone all the time. 438 00:27:24,119 --> 00:27:27,720 Speaker 5: I'm not out running around and carousing, but I'm meeting 439 00:27:27,760 --> 00:27:30,880 Speaker 5: with these people. It's the job that I do and 440 00:27:31,359 --> 00:27:34,400 Speaker 5: prepare her for the fact that at some point her 441 00:27:34,480 --> 00:27:38,080 Speaker 5: life was going to be uprooted for their safety. 442 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:42,120 Speaker 1: And it would soon change everything for Adnas and his family. 443 00:27:43,359 --> 00:27:46,320 Speaker 5: We were going to have to take them away from 444 00:27:46,520 --> 00:27:48,800 Speaker 5: where they'd been living, that they were going to have 445 00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:53,480 Speaker 5: to pretty much go underground and isolate themselves from everyone 446 00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:57,120 Speaker 5: they'd known before for a while to keep themselves safe. 447 00:27:57,400 --> 00:28:00,480 Speaker 1: Defridis would bring that on sooner than they'd planned. 448 00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:04,680 Speaker 9: There was a key moment in the case where after 449 00:28:04,800 --> 00:28:07,800 Speaker 9: meeting with potential co conspirators, Monsie de Fried has decided 450 00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:11,520 Speaker 9: he wanted to conduct surveillance at JFK and indeed take 451 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:14,960 Speaker 9: some video tape of JFK Airport as well as get 452 00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:17,679 Speaker 9: we think of now sort of Google Maps, sort of 453 00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:20,840 Speaker 9: satellite imagery but just from Google of the airport, but 454 00:28:20,920 --> 00:28:24,080 Speaker 9: also did do visits to the airport where they videotaped 455 00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:27,720 Speaker 9: the airport and they particularly focused on the fuel tanks, 456 00:28:27,840 --> 00:28:31,000 Speaker 9: which if you've driven to JFK Airport at times you 457 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:34,080 Speaker 9: can see them from the highway, These big fuel tanks 458 00:28:34,119 --> 00:28:37,520 Speaker 9: that have the airline fuel that airplanes use. 459 00:28:38,760 --> 00:28:41,680 Speaker 1: The video set the stage for the final phase. 460 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:44,440 Speaker 9: So that was a big moment and I think again 461 00:28:44,480 --> 00:28:46,760 Speaker 9: some thinking at that point of is it now time 462 00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:49,880 Speaker 9: to take this case down? Given the video tapes and 463 00:28:50,080 --> 00:28:52,520 Speaker 9: the fact that Minstere de Friedis wanted to take those 464 00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:58,200 Speaker 9: videotapes back to Guyana to show them to potential plotters. Ultimately, 465 00:28:58,200 --> 00:29:00,520 Speaker 9: again the decision was made that we want to see 466 00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:04,520 Speaker 9: who he would show the video too, and so there 467 00:29:04,560 --> 00:29:08,800 Speaker 9: was then a final trip to Diana into Trinidad where 468 00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:13,160 Speaker 9: meetings occurred with ultimately the defendants who were indicted with 469 00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:19,040 Speaker 9: mister Defriedis, Abdulnor, Abdul Kadir Kareem Ibraheim, and audio tapes 470 00:29:19,080 --> 00:29:23,440 Speaker 9: were made overseas where they talked about the operation, ways 471 00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:25,960 Speaker 9: to go about it, and who the right people to 472 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:26,920 Speaker 9: present the plot were. 473 00:29:28,280 --> 00:29:32,000 Speaker 1: Defriedis used his homemade surveillance tape to find powerful backers 474 00:29:32,240 --> 00:29:34,880 Speaker 1: who could help turn the scheme into reality. 475 00:29:36,160 --> 00:29:40,160 Speaker 9: It was presented to that Trinidadian terrorist group leader who 476 00:29:40,480 --> 00:29:43,880 Speaker 9: basically said things are too hot here and this is 477 00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:46,560 Speaker 9: going to draw too much government attention and declined to 478 00:29:46,680 --> 00:29:49,400 Speaker 9: join the plot. And then ultimately a decision was made 479 00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:53,160 Speaker 9: that would be presented to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps 480 00:29:53,280 --> 00:29:58,040 Speaker 9: and a emissary would be sent to Iran with potentially 481 00:29:58,080 --> 00:30:01,960 Speaker 9: the videos of JFK Airport, with the Google Earth images, 482 00:30:02,040 --> 00:30:04,960 Speaker 9: and with the plan for the plot to secure monetary 483 00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:07,880 Speaker 9: support and expertise. And it was at that point where 484 00:30:08,080 --> 00:30:10,760 Speaker 9: the judgment was made that we're now going to lose 485 00:30:11,040 --> 00:30:15,040 Speaker 9: the ability to control the threat associated with this plot 486 00:30:15,160 --> 00:30:17,520 Speaker 9: if it lands in the hands in er on of 487 00:30:17,560 --> 00:30:18,320 Speaker 9: the IRGC. 488 00:30:19,680 --> 00:30:23,640 Speaker 1: The possibility of losing control forced the FBI's hand. 489 00:30:24,840 --> 00:30:27,800 Speaker 5: The freight train got moving at a very high rate 490 00:30:27,800 --> 00:30:31,480 Speaker 5: of speed. We were looking to find the perfect opportunity 491 00:30:31,520 --> 00:30:35,040 Speaker 5: where we could disrupt this plot before it actually got 492 00:30:35,360 --> 00:30:39,960 Speaker 5: to somebody who could provide them the means and opportunity their. 493 00:30:39,880 --> 00:30:41,000 Speaker 1: Race was on. 494 00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:56,040 Speaker 10: Government officials say they have uncovered a terror plot to 495 00:30:56,080 --> 00:30:59,480 Speaker 10: attack New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport, and 496 00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:02,640 Speaker 10: attack which one of the suspected terrorists said would quote 497 00:31:02,720 --> 00:31:07,320 Speaker 10: cause greater destruction than the September eleventh attacks. The target 498 00:31:07,600 --> 00:31:10,920 Speaker 10: a jet fuel artery that runs from New Jersey to 499 00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:12,040 Speaker 10: the New York Airport. 500 00:31:13,800 --> 00:31:17,800 Speaker 1: Chasing a conspiracy that stretched into other countries meant stepping 501 00:31:17,840 --> 00:31:22,200 Speaker 1: into trickier and sometimes far riskier territory. The FBI could 502 00:31:22,320 --> 00:31:26,160 Speaker 1: no longer rely on its reach alone. Every move also 503 00:31:26,280 --> 00:31:30,480 Speaker 1: depended on allies abroad, on timing that had to be flawless, 504 00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:33,360 Speaker 1: and on the hope that no one slipped away before 505 00:31:33,440 --> 00:31:36,800 Speaker 1: the net was cast. The margin for error had never 506 00:31:36,840 --> 00:31:41,320 Speaker 1: been thinner. In early June two thousand and seven, after 507 00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:45,320 Speaker 1: months of surveillance, the FBI and its partners decided to act. 508 00:31:46,360 --> 00:31:48,520 Speaker 8: We didn't plan on taking it down when it did 509 00:31:48,560 --> 00:31:52,440 Speaker 8: go down, but we got word that Kadeer was flying 510 00:31:52,560 --> 00:31:56,880 Speaker 8: to Venezuela or possibly to Iran via Venezuela. We didn't 511 00:31:56,920 --> 00:31:59,640 Speaker 8: know if he was going there to talk about the plot. 512 00:32:00,040 --> 00:32:02,840 Speaker 8: Information you had for the plot, so we decided to 513 00:32:02,840 --> 00:32:03,160 Speaker 8: take it. 514 00:32:03,120 --> 00:32:06,400 Speaker 1: To hunt that point, it was now a race against 515 00:32:06,400 --> 00:32:08,440 Speaker 1: the cock Russell. 516 00:32:08,440 --> 00:32:09,840 Speaker 8: The FRIUS was in the United States. He was in 517 00:32:09,880 --> 00:32:11,720 Speaker 8: Brooklyn at the time with Anna, so we had a 518 00:32:11,760 --> 00:32:13,480 Speaker 8: lot of control over that, which was good. 519 00:32:14,640 --> 00:32:18,400 Speaker 1: Arrests in New York could be handled closely, but overseas 520 00:32:18,560 --> 00:32:22,400 Speaker 1: was a much tougher task. If just one suspect slipped away, 521 00:32:22,800 --> 00:32:27,080 Speaker 1: the entire plot could escape their grasp. That danger became 522 00:32:27,320 --> 00:32:31,440 Speaker 1: very real when investigators learned where abdulah Nor was headed next. 523 00:32:32,600 --> 00:32:37,640 Speaker 5: Nor was booking travel through Venezuela onto Iran to go 524 00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:41,360 Speaker 5: look for some support for this plot, and we knew 525 00:32:41,400 --> 00:32:44,160 Speaker 5: that if he got into those countries, we might not 526 00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:46,800 Speaker 5: be able to get him back. That's when the case 527 00:32:46,840 --> 00:32:51,160 Speaker 5: agents started coordinating, trying to figure out how they could 528 00:32:51,520 --> 00:32:55,640 Speaker 5: have the local police help us in Guyana and Trinidad 529 00:32:55,640 --> 00:32:59,760 Speaker 5: and Tobago to arrest the folks that were there, and 530 00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:04,800 Speaker 5: they were preparing for extradition of those folks and trying 531 00:33:04,840 --> 00:33:08,160 Speaker 5: to make sure that they could coordinate and had all 532 00:33:08,200 --> 00:33:12,480 Speaker 5: of the plotters in pocket at once and could effectuate 533 00:33:12,560 --> 00:33:15,960 Speaker 5: all of these arrests as close to simultaneously as they could. 534 00:33:17,280 --> 00:33:21,200 Speaker 1: In Brooklyn, agents staged a takedown. It was also meant 535 00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:25,320 Speaker 1: to disguise and NAS's true identity in the ongoing priority 536 00:33:25,360 --> 00:33:27,360 Speaker 1: to keep him safe. 537 00:33:27,520 --> 00:33:30,800 Speaker 5: The night of the arrest, we arrested Defriedis and on 538 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:34,280 Speaker 5: Us in a diner and we made sure that they 539 00:33:34,320 --> 00:33:37,640 Speaker 5: were booked together so it looked like, you know, we 540 00:33:37,640 --> 00:33:39,680 Speaker 5: were arresting in Nas as a plot or two. 541 00:33:40,840 --> 00:33:43,160 Speaker 1: The illusion didn't last long. 542 00:33:44,080 --> 00:33:47,800 Speaker 5: But very quickly it came out that he was the source. 543 00:33:49,160 --> 00:33:52,240 Speaker 1: At that point, keeping a Nas and his family away 544 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:54,560 Speaker 1: from harm meant moving quickly. 545 00:33:55,320 --> 00:34:00,440 Speaker 5: And we had taken action that night, after the raiment 546 00:34:00,680 --> 00:34:04,600 Speaker 5: and booking of Defriedis were over, we went to the 547 00:34:04,640 --> 00:34:08,239 Speaker 5: apartment where he had been living and moved out everything 548 00:34:08,440 --> 00:34:09,440 Speaker 5: of his apartment. 549 00:34:10,560 --> 00:34:14,080 Speaker 1: The priority was to get them out before anyone connected 550 00:34:14,120 --> 00:34:17,640 Speaker 1: to the plot could find them, and that urgency only 551 00:34:17,719 --> 00:34:20,840 Speaker 1: grew when a NASA's true identity became public. 552 00:34:21,760 --> 00:34:24,799 Speaker 5: And when that came out in the paper a couple 553 00:34:24,840 --> 00:34:28,000 Speaker 5: of days later, with his full background in history, we 554 00:34:28,160 --> 00:34:30,839 Speaker 5: realized we had to do even more to make sure 555 00:34:30,880 --> 00:34:33,640 Speaker 5: that he and his family were safe, above and beyond 556 00:34:33,840 --> 00:34:36,280 Speaker 5: just relocating them out of the New York City area. 557 00:34:37,560 --> 00:34:41,279 Speaker 1: While New York was secured, partners overseas moved in on 558 00:34:41,360 --> 00:34:42,320 Speaker 1: the rest of the South. 559 00:34:43,440 --> 00:34:45,840 Speaker 8: It was pretty quick. We had a very good relationship 560 00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:49,200 Speaker 8: with the counterparts in those countries and we provide the 561 00:34:49,239 --> 00:34:52,120 Speaker 8: evidence in the warrants to the other countries, but they 562 00:34:52,160 --> 00:34:54,600 Speaker 8: have to affect the arrests and then we go through 563 00:34:54,600 --> 00:34:57,600 Speaker 8: the extradition process to get them back into Nine States. 564 00:34:57,920 --> 00:35:01,120 Speaker 8: Abdulkadir was in Trinidad getting on a plane when he 565 00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:05,000 Speaker 8: was arrested Abdulnor was in Trinidad. He was on the 566 00:35:05,080 --> 00:35:06,879 Speaker 8: run for a couple of days and they found him. 567 00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:08,640 Speaker 8: Abraham Comma was in Trinidad. 568 00:35:08,640 --> 00:35:13,879 Speaker 1: Also, what began as whispered conversations about an attack ended 569 00:35:13,880 --> 00:35:18,080 Speaker 1: in a coordinated sweep across two countries. All four men 570 00:35:18,120 --> 00:35:21,440 Speaker 1: were taken into custody within the span of a single week. 571 00:35:22,480 --> 00:35:26,880 Speaker 11: Today's arrests remind us that we're at war. The reality is, 572 00:35:26,920 --> 00:35:28,839 Speaker 11: over the last couple of weeks we've had two now 573 00:35:28,960 --> 00:35:32,960 Speaker 11: major arrests of people who were organizing to attack in 574 00:35:33,080 --> 00:35:36,680 Speaker 11: America and to attack Americans. It should remind us that 575 00:35:36,760 --> 00:35:39,920 Speaker 11: the terrorists are at war with us, both overseas and 576 00:35:39,920 --> 00:35:42,680 Speaker 11: here in the United States. And sometimes I know this 577 00:35:42,840 --> 00:35:45,359 Speaker 11: is a different kind of war, so it's sometimes hard 578 00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:48,320 Speaker 11: to focus on it. But the reality is that today's 579 00:35:48,360 --> 00:35:50,680 Speaker 11: arrests remind me of the fact that we have to 580 00:35:50,719 --> 00:35:52,600 Speaker 11: remain on offense against terrorists. 581 00:35:54,239 --> 00:35:57,640 Speaker 1: The plot was dismantled, the arrests had been made, but 582 00:35:57,760 --> 00:36:00,600 Speaker 1: for Anas, the end of the case was and treat them. 583 00:36:01,600 --> 00:36:05,200 Speaker 5: The day of the arrest, we arrived after dark with 584 00:36:05,360 --> 00:36:10,080 Speaker 5: a bunch of agents and a box truck and loaded 585 00:36:10,280 --> 00:36:13,960 Speaker 5: everything from their lives into this box truck to take 586 00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:17,719 Speaker 5: them somewhere where they wouldn't be bumping into folks on 587 00:36:17,800 --> 00:36:21,760 Speaker 5: the street. We had to instruct our source and his family. 588 00:36:22,080 --> 00:36:24,359 Speaker 5: They had to get rid of their cell phones, they 589 00:36:24,400 --> 00:36:29,279 Speaker 5: couldn't be using their Internet accounts. Basically anything that could 590 00:36:29,320 --> 00:36:33,160 Speaker 5: be used to identify them trace them had to go. 591 00:36:33,760 --> 00:36:37,600 Speaker 5: So it was a complete upheaval of their lives, and 592 00:36:37,680 --> 00:36:42,759 Speaker 5: I don't think that anybody understands exactly that sacrifice that 593 00:36:42,800 --> 00:36:43,600 Speaker 5: they have to make. 594 00:36:44,880 --> 00:36:47,560 Speaker 1: It was the start of a life cloaked in secrecy. 595 00:36:48,680 --> 00:36:51,400 Speaker 5: We couldn't guarantee them that at some later point that 596 00:36:51,480 --> 00:36:53,680 Speaker 5: it would be safe for them to walk back into 597 00:36:53,760 --> 00:36:57,680 Speaker 5: their old lives, and in fact, to this day, I 598 00:36:57,760 --> 00:37:01,520 Speaker 5: know that there is upheaval in the sources life as 599 00:37:01,520 --> 00:37:04,920 Speaker 5: a result of this, that his life has been forever changed, 600 00:37:05,320 --> 00:37:09,319 Speaker 5: and he's not been able to maintain contacts with all 601 00:37:09,360 --> 00:37:13,640 Speaker 5: of his family and not be there through key events 602 00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:15,520 Speaker 5: in his relatives' lives. 603 00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:20,800 Speaker 1: But even in hiding, and NASA's cooperation remained essential. 604 00:37:22,080 --> 00:37:26,040 Speaker 5: We had to organize for a couple of years meetings 605 00:37:26,080 --> 00:37:30,120 Speaker 5: at various locations throughout the United States so that he 606 00:37:30,120 --> 00:37:34,560 Speaker 5: could assist in trial preparation and then, of course, a 607 00:37:34,840 --> 00:37:37,640 Speaker 5: full time security detail for him when he was in 608 00:37:37,680 --> 00:37:39,560 Speaker 5: New York waiting to testify. 609 00:37:41,080 --> 00:37:44,800 Speaker 1: Meanwhile, Defratus' fury remained with him behind bars. 610 00:37:46,080 --> 00:37:48,160 Speaker 5: We found out he was trying to recruit some of 611 00:37:48,200 --> 00:37:52,799 Speaker 5: his fellow prisoners to murder the source and the prosecutor. 612 00:37:53,280 --> 00:38:00,040 Speaker 5: So he was definitely looking to harm the source. And 613 00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:03,560 Speaker 5: then there were also wanted posters that were put up 614 00:38:03,800 --> 00:38:06,880 Speaker 5: on the streets of Brooklyn around the area that he 615 00:38:06,960 --> 00:38:11,319 Speaker 5: had been working that had his name, his face wan 616 00:38:11,400 --> 00:38:14,760 Speaker 5: a dead or alive for being a snitch. That made 617 00:38:14,760 --> 00:38:18,959 Speaker 5: it a very, very real threat. He had gone into 618 00:38:18,960 --> 00:38:22,360 Speaker 5: this knowing that that was the outcome, so he handled 619 00:38:22,360 --> 00:38:25,120 Speaker 5: it as well as you could expect somebody who has 620 00:38:25,480 --> 00:38:29,239 Speaker 5: a total compleet upheaval in their life. 621 00:38:29,400 --> 00:38:32,799 Speaker 1: While the plot had been thwarted, the court battle was 622 00:38:32,840 --> 00:38:38,279 Speaker 1: only beginning. The first Hurtle wasn't in court, but overseas extradition. 623 00:38:39,000 --> 00:38:42,640 Speaker 1: It took some time, but eventually all defendants were returned 624 00:38:42,719 --> 00:38:46,560 Speaker 1: to the US. Once all four were in Brooklyn, the 625 00:38:46,640 --> 00:38:51,200 Speaker 1: case moved forward. The defendants faced a series of federal charges, 626 00:38:51,600 --> 00:38:55,040 Speaker 1: all tied to the same core allegation, a plan to 627 00:38:55,160 --> 00:39:00,000 Speaker 1: blow up JFK airport and its fuel system. Prosecutors can 628 00:39:00,000 --> 00:39:03,120 Speaker 1: continued to partner with law enforcement right through the trial. 629 00:39:04,239 --> 00:39:07,080 Speaker 8: It was very intense, it was very exciting. The pressure 630 00:39:07,200 --> 00:39:09,759 Speaker 8: was there to make sure that everything was aligned and 631 00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:12,719 Speaker 8: done correctly. We had a ton of evidence, a ton 632 00:39:12,760 --> 00:39:14,879 Speaker 8: of recordings that we had to transcribe, and. 633 00:39:14,840 --> 00:39:19,920 Speaker 1: That was have you left abdel nor pled guilty? The 634 00:39:19,960 --> 00:39:22,080 Speaker 1: three remaining defendants went to court. 635 00:39:23,400 --> 00:39:26,200 Speaker 9: It went to two trials, first of mister Kadeer and 636 00:39:26,239 --> 00:39:28,880 Speaker 9: mister de Fritis, So that's what happened to the four defendants. 637 00:39:28,880 --> 00:39:32,799 Speaker 9: There was also a fifth defendant who testify, who came 638 00:39:32,840 --> 00:39:34,440 Speaker 9: to the United States. He was one of the early 639 00:39:34,480 --> 00:39:37,200 Speaker 9: co conspirators, came to the United States, pleaded guilty to 640 00:39:37,360 --> 00:39:40,560 Speaker 9: terrorism crimes and testified against the others. 641 00:39:40,680 --> 00:39:41,799 Speaker 2: So ultimately the. 642 00:39:41,760 --> 00:39:46,799 Speaker 9: Trial included both the source testifying and this other cooperating. 643 00:39:46,200 --> 00:39:51,040 Speaker 1: Witness from the prosecutions side of the table. The evidence 644 00:39:51,160 --> 00:39:54,560 Speaker 1: was overwhelming, but would the jury see it that way? 645 00:39:55,520 --> 00:39:55,680 Speaker 7: Well? 646 00:39:55,760 --> 00:39:58,760 Speaker 10: The government be able to convince a jury that these 647 00:39:58,800 --> 00:40:01,839 Speaker 10: men were a real th threat to the nation's security 648 00:40:02,239 --> 00:40:05,920 Speaker 10: when even the government itself acknowledges that they did not 649 00:40:06,040 --> 00:40:09,200 Speaker 10: have the means actually to carry out the attack. 650 00:40:10,920 --> 00:40:14,720 Speaker 1: The defense only needed to plant doubt, and they searched 651 00:40:14,760 --> 00:40:15,719 Speaker 1: for a way to do it. 652 00:40:16,880 --> 00:40:19,360 Speaker 9: The defense became a bit of a subject of debate 653 00:40:19,840 --> 00:40:23,799 Speaker 9: at the trials. I would call the defense entrapment light. 654 00:40:24,280 --> 00:40:27,600 Speaker 9: They was sort of all the trappings of entrapment, but 655 00:40:27,680 --> 00:40:31,520 Speaker 9: without actually claiming entrapment. So it was sort of a 656 00:40:31,520 --> 00:40:35,600 Speaker 9: combination of this wasn't real. These were just people spouting off, 657 00:40:35,640 --> 00:40:37,839 Speaker 9: so there was no real intent here. They weren't really 658 00:40:37,840 --> 00:40:38,960 Speaker 9: going to follow through with it. 659 00:40:39,840 --> 00:40:42,680 Speaker 10: Here's the question. Was the US government right to take 660 00:40:42,719 --> 00:40:47,120 Speaker 10: this bomb plot seriously or were these suspected terrorists simply 661 00:40:47,200 --> 00:40:50,440 Speaker 10: amateur wannabes who could never have pulled off a real attack. 662 00:40:51,440 --> 00:40:55,120 Speaker 1: But in the end, the most powerful evidence wasn't documents 663 00:40:55,200 --> 00:40:58,319 Speaker 1: or testimony, It was the defendants themselves. 664 00:40:59,360 --> 00:41:01,960 Speaker 8: I think the record definitely were the strongest. Just the 665 00:41:02,040 --> 00:41:04,920 Speaker 8: jury hearing those recordings and hearing the voices of the 666 00:41:04,920 --> 00:41:07,760 Speaker 8: people sitting there on trial and hearing them talk about 667 00:41:07,760 --> 00:41:10,400 Speaker 8: this plot and what they wanted to do was definitely 668 00:41:10,440 --> 00:41:11,839 Speaker 8: the most damning part of it. 669 00:41:13,160 --> 00:41:16,480 Speaker 1: The recordings also cut off the defense's line of attack, 670 00:41:17,080 --> 00:41:19,880 Speaker 1: arguing that the government had manufactured the crime. 671 00:41:21,040 --> 00:41:23,560 Speaker 9: So in this case, what the jury and the judge 672 00:41:23,560 --> 00:41:26,640 Speaker 9: agreed with was this was all Russell Defriedez's idea. He 673 00:41:26,719 --> 00:41:28,520 Speaker 9: was the one who came up with the target. He 674 00:41:28,600 --> 00:41:30,640 Speaker 9: was the one who came up with the method. He 675 00:41:30,680 --> 00:41:34,480 Speaker 9: was the one who decided that they should videotape the 676 00:41:34,480 --> 00:41:36,200 Speaker 9: place where he used to work. He was the one 677 00:41:36,200 --> 00:41:38,840 Speaker 9: who introduced the source to people in some foreign country. 678 00:41:38,840 --> 00:41:41,840 Speaker 9: The source had never been to before in Guyana and Trinidad. 679 00:41:42,960 --> 00:41:46,080 Speaker 1: To make their case, two of the defendants did something 680 00:41:46,239 --> 00:41:48,240 Speaker 1: rare in terrorism trials. 681 00:41:48,760 --> 00:41:50,600 Speaker 9: And ultimately they did take the stand to try to 682 00:41:50,640 --> 00:41:54,080 Speaker 9: explain away the things they were saying on the recordings, 683 00:41:54,440 --> 00:41:58,080 Speaker 9: and so that made for I think a rather made 684 00:41:58,160 --> 00:42:03,200 Speaker 9: for media moment of to terrorism defendants in separate trials 685 00:42:03,480 --> 00:42:06,799 Speaker 9: testifying on their behalf and giving me the opportunity to 686 00:42:06,800 --> 00:42:08,160 Speaker 9: cross examine them. 687 00:42:08,880 --> 00:42:13,759 Speaker 1: The GAMP had backfired documents and recordings undercut their stories, 688 00:42:14,040 --> 00:42:15,920 Speaker 1: and the jury wasn't convinced. 689 00:42:17,160 --> 00:42:19,840 Speaker 8: They were found guilty on all charges well freedom. 690 00:42:21,040 --> 00:42:25,719 Speaker 1: By early twenty twelve, the trials were over. Russell Defriedis 691 00:42:25,880 --> 00:42:30,000 Speaker 1: was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Abdul Kadir 692 00:42:30,120 --> 00:42:34,200 Speaker 1: and Kareem Abraham were convicted and also given life sentences. 693 00:42:34,680 --> 00:42:38,800 Speaker 1: Abdul Nor received fifteen years. The case closed the book 694 00:42:38,800 --> 00:42:43,360 Speaker 1: on a plot that, if successful, could have caused immense devastation. 695 00:42:44,440 --> 00:42:48,440 Speaker 1: Even after the sentences were handed down, the story didn't 696 00:42:48,480 --> 00:42:53,400 Speaker 1: simply end. The government still had one more obligation to 697 00:42:53,520 --> 00:42:57,640 Speaker 1: protect Annas, the man who had risked everything to expose 698 00:42:57,680 --> 00:42:58,080 Speaker 1: the plot. 699 00:42:59,400 --> 00:43:02,400 Speaker 8: We definite concerned for his safety. There were some serious 700 00:43:02,400 --> 00:43:05,480 Speaker 8: individuals in Guyana that obviously we're not happy that he 701 00:43:05,520 --> 00:43:07,399 Speaker 8: was an informant. We did put him in the witness 702 00:43:07,440 --> 00:43:08,600 Speaker 8: protection program. 703 00:43:09,200 --> 00:43:14,000 Speaker 1: The trial changed his life forever for a nas survival 704 00:43:14,160 --> 00:43:24,000 Speaker 1: meant vanishing. Investigators still remember what they accomplished together at 705 00:43:24,000 --> 00:43:24,440 Speaker 1: that point. 706 00:43:24,440 --> 00:43:27,400 Speaker 8: There are essentially fifty different agencies in the JTTF, and 707 00:43:27,400 --> 00:43:29,680 Speaker 8: I would say almost every single one of them were 708 00:43:29,719 --> 00:43:33,600 Speaker 8: working together. It really was a tremendous group effort and 709 00:43:34,040 --> 00:43:35,800 Speaker 8: kind of just a highlight of why there is a 710 00:43:35,880 --> 00:43:39,759 Speaker 8: JTTF and the success that the collaboration brings. I think 711 00:43:39,920 --> 00:43:42,400 Speaker 8: bringing everybody onto one roof and one office and working 712 00:43:42,440 --> 00:43:45,680 Speaker 8: together as one kind of builds this camaraderie and it 713 00:43:45,719 --> 00:43:48,640 Speaker 8: helps to this day making the JTTF the success. 714 00:43:49,719 --> 00:43:52,880 Speaker 1: This case is also an example of this system working 715 00:43:52,960 --> 00:43:56,280 Speaker 1: in unison across borders and jurisdictions. 716 00:43:57,560 --> 00:44:01,680 Speaker 5: I think this is a case where the JTTF worked 717 00:44:01,760 --> 00:44:06,000 Speaker 5: exactly as it was designed to. We got information and 718 00:44:06,040 --> 00:44:11,160 Speaker 5: were able to develop that and act on what we knew. 719 00:44:11,640 --> 00:44:16,040 Speaker 5: We were able to work with partners in foreign countries. 720 00:44:16,600 --> 00:44:19,600 Speaker 5: We used pretty much every tool in the tool bag 721 00:44:20,040 --> 00:44:23,840 Speaker 5: and were able to come up with a solid case 722 00:44:24,239 --> 00:44:28,520 Speaker 5: for the US attorneys to take to court. So it 723 00:44:28,600 --> 00:44:32,880 Speaker 5: was very much a textbook case on how a case 724 00:44:32,920 --> 00:44:35,879 Speaker 5: investigation with an international nexus should work. 725 00:44:37,120 --> 00:44:40,800 Speaker 1: From Marshall, the case represents why his work is important, 726 00:44:42,040 --> 00:44:42,600 Speaker 1: and you have. 727 00:44:42,560 --> 00:44:44,640 Speaker 9: To step back at the end, or at least at 728 00:44:44,719 --> 00:44:47,000 Speaker 9: key moments in the process, and then at the end 729 00:44:47,320 --> 00:44:49,799 Speaker 9: to take stock. There were times, though, when you were 730 00:44:49,840 --> 00:44:52,839 Speaker 9: able to step back and say, we've done something here, 731 00:44:52,880 --> 00:44:55,640 Speaker 9: We've done something that matters, that really has an impact 732 00:44:56,120 --> 00:45:00,959 Speaker 9: protecting lives, shaping the future of these kinds of investigations 733 00:45:00,960 --> 00:45:01,880 Speaker 9: and prosecutions. 734 00:45:03,320 --> 00:45:06,600 Speaker 1: Looking back, this case is a golden example of what 735 00:45:06,719 --> 00:45:10,880 Speaker 1: can be achieved with a preemptive approach to terrorism and 736 00:45:11,000 --> 00:45:12,320 Speaker 1: teamwork at its best. 737 00:45:13,560 --> 00:45:17,920 Speaker 9: JTTF generally they work in a very difficult environment where 738 00:45:18,320 --> 00:45:20,840 Speaker 9: if the dots aren't connected, or if the mistakes are made, 739 00:45:20,920 --> 00:45:23,440 Speaker 9: there can be catastrophic consequences, but also it's kind of 740 00:45:23,480 --> 00:45:26,520 Speaker 9: the best of law enforcement, where folks are committed to 741 00:45:26,560 --> 00:45:29,200 Speaker 9: the mission, they're working together hand in hand, and they're 742 00:45:29,239 --> 00:45:32,719 Speaker 9: working also hand in hand with the prosecutorial folks and 743 00:45:32,760 --> 00:45:35,440 Speaker 9: with their intelligence community partners, and it's like exactly what 744 00:45:35,480 --> 00:45:36,480 Speaker 9: you want out of government. 745 00:45:37,880 --> 00:45:40,319 Speaker 1: This would be the start of a new era for 746 00:45:40,400 --> 00:45:45,440 Speaker 1: the JTTF. The organization would only improve from here, and 747 00:45:45,480 --> 00:45:50,239 Speaker 1: what followed was even more successes. In the coming decade, 748 00:45:50,320 --> 00:45:54,720 Speaker 1: the JTTF would thwart hundreds of new threats, some involving 749 00:45:54,880 --> 00:46:04,960 Speaker 1: organizations and others single individuals acting alone. 750 00:46:11,160 --> 00:46:14,680 Speaker 2: Next time on law and order criminal Justice System. 751 00:46:15,000 --> 00:46:17,799 Speaker 6: At BI agents say that this investigation took them into 752 00:46:17,800 --> 00:46:20,120 Speaker 6: a hidden culture of both hate and violence. 753 00:46:20,400 --> 00:46:23,719 Speaker 9: He had a framed picture of Timothy mcveay in his room. 754 00:46:23,719 --> 00:46:26,600 Speaker 9: He idolized McVay and he wanted to do something similar. 755 00:46:26,920 --> 00:46:32,120 Speaker 1: He went off on the Somalies. He was calling them names, 756 00:46:32,200 --> 00:46:34,239 Speaker 1: and he said he wanted to shoot some of them. 757 00:46:34,600 --> 00:46:37,359 Speaker 9: He was working on constructing explosive devices. 758 00:46:37,640 --> 00:46:41,520 Speaker 6: An anti government, anti Muslim, anti immigrant group planned to 759 00:46:41,560 --> 00:46:45,440 Speaker 6: vombit apartment complex in Garden City in southwest Kansas. 760 00:46:49,160 --> 00:46:52,520 Speaker 2: Law and Order Criminal Justice System is a production of 761 00:46:52,560 --> 00:46:58,200 Speaker 2: Wolf Entertainment and iHeart Podcasts. Our host is Anna Sega Nicolazzi. 762 00:46:59,000 --> 00:47:02,640 Speaker 2: The show was written by Cooper Mall, Executive produced by 763 00:47:02,680 --> 00:47:07,000 Speaker 2: Dick Wolf, Elliot Wolf and Stephen Michael at Wolf Entertainment 764 00:47:07,880 --> 00:47:12,360 Speaker 2: on behalf of iHeart Podcasts. Executive producers Trevor Young and 765 00:47:12,480 --> 00:47:18,760 Speaker 2: Matt Frederick, with supervising producer Chandler Mays and producer Jesse Funk. 766 00:47:19,480 --> 00:47:23,920 Speaker 2: This season is executive produced by Anna Sega Nicolazzi. Our 767 00:47:24,040 --> 00:47:28,440 Speaker 2: researchers are Luke Stantz and Carolyn Tolmidge. Editing and sound 768 00:47:28,480 --> 00:47:33,040 Speaker 2: designed by Trevor Young and Jesse Funk. Original music by 769 00:47:33,120 --> 00:47:38,080 Speaker 2: John O'Hara, Original theme by Mike Post with additional music 770 00:47:38,160 --> 00:47:42,960 Speaker 2: by Steve Moore and additional voice over by me Steve Zernkelton. 771 00:47:43,880 --> 00:47:47,120 Speaker 2: Special thanks to Fox five in New York for providing 772 00:47:47,320 --> 00:47:51,400 Speaker 2: archival material for the show. For more podcasts from iHeart 773 00:47:51,440 --> 00:47:56,120 Speaker 2: in Wolf Entertainment, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 774 00:47:56,160 --> 00:47:59,600 Speaker 2: wherever you get your favorite shows. Thanks for listening.