
A Durham man, 29-year-old Alexander Justin White, was arrested in early December last year after attempting to board an international flight, ostensibly to join the ranks of ISIS. The revelation of the criminal complaint unsealed by U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley Jr. has revealed the chilling details of his alleged intentions. White was apprehended on December 4, 2024, at RDU Airport before he could embark on his journey that would eventually lead him to Morocco, a stepping stone in his purported plan to align with the terrorist group.
According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office, White's online activities traced back from May to October of 2024 under the moniker "Sulaiman Al-Amriki," according to Hoodline, showed his growing support for the violent jihad ideology through posts and recruitment videos. The complaint claims that his conversations online with others sympathetic to the cause further demonstrated an earnest effort to seek out a path that would lead him to become a mujahideen with ISIS. His regret for not joining the group sooner, when routes to the Middle East were less scrutinized, became evident in his digital footprint.
The seriousness of the charges against White is underscored by the maximum punishment he faces if convicted: up to 20 years in prison. The U.S. Attorney emphasized the collaborative efforts with the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) to intercept such terrorism attempts. This prevention highlights the ever-present vigilance required to protect the nation from its citizens who may choose a path of violence against their own country.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, highlighted the importance of collaboration among law enforcement agencies, stating, "The threats we face are bigger than any one law enforcement or intelligence agency can tackle, requiring not only a law enforcement partnership but working with our communities to keep people safe." The involvement of multiple local and state agencies in the Raleigh-based JTTF, including the Cary, Raleigh, and Durham Police Departments, speaks to the profoundness of such partnerships. The investigation received critical assistance from the Morocco General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST), underscoring the international dimensions of combating terrorism.
The case is now under investigation by the FBI JTTF, while Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gabe Diaz and Jason Kellhofer, alongside Trial Attorney David Andrew Sigler from the Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section, lead the prosecution.