Federal investigators say they cut short a plan to firebomb the Brooklyn home of Palestinian activist Nerdeen Kiswani, grabbing a New Jersey man on Thursday as he allegedly assembled Molotov-style devices. Authorities say an undercover operation and a later search stopped what they described as an imminent attack, according to a federal criminal complaint and reporting by The Associated Press.
The complaint identifies the suspect as Andrew Heifler and alleges he spent weeks talking through plans with an undercover law-enforcement officer. Investigators say he scoped out Kiswani’s residence and traded ideas about making and throwing bottle bombs, according to The Associated Press.
Kiswani said an FBI official called her late Thursday to warn that a threat "was about to take place," and she said she felt fortunate that agents had stepped in. "I feel very blessed that they were able to thwart this," she told the San Diego Union‑Tribune, adding that serious threats are a recurring risk for outspoken pro‑Palestine organizers.
How investigators say the plot unfolded
According to the criminal complaint and reporting by the San Diego Union‑Tribune, Heifler first raised his interest in "self‑defense" and in having space to throw Molotov cocktails during a February video call that included an undercover officer. The next day, the complaint states, he met the officer in person.
On March 4, the undercover officer and Heifler drove to Kiswani’s residence to conduct surveillance, investigators say. During that drive, Heifler allegedly talked about making a dozen bottles and suggested throwing two at parked cars. In a later meeting at his Hoboken address, Heifler and the undercover officer allegedly built eight bottles that agents later seized, according to the complaint and the San Diego Union‑Tribune.
Search, seizure and charges
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Heifler’s Hoboken residence and recovered eight Molotov‑style devices that FBI bomb technicians preliminarily tested and said contained ethanol, concluding they were destructive devices. Heifler was arrested at his New Jersey home on March 26 and charged in a federal complaint with two firearms offenses. An online court docket did not list counsel, according to The Associated Press.
Local context and the risks organizers face
Kiswani co‑founded the Brooklyn group Within Our Lifetime and has been a very public presence at pro‑Palestine demonstrations across New York City, drawing both support and controversy. Hoodline earlier covered one of her high‑profile social‑media clashes, Dogs Over Muslims, and the Anti‑Defamation League has documented how groups linked to the protest wave have at times used inflammatory rhetoric, a backdrop that helps explain why law enforcement treats threats to prominent organizers as urgent. See reporting by the ADL for additional background.
Federal officials say the investigation remains active, and more filings or court appearances are expected as prosecutors review the case and any possible motives. Kiswani said she plans to keep organizing while her legal team and federal agents look into whether the alleged plot was an isolated scheme or part of a wider threat network.
