Freshly released photos and newly unsealed court filings are giving the clearest look yet at the FBI’s probe into an alleged Halloween terror plot tied to Dearborn. The images and documents outline suspects at a gun range, encrypted messages that used “pumpkin” as a code word, and a photograph that prosecutors say showed an ISIS flag alongside a knife.
The criminal complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, lays out surveillance stills, receipts and a timeline that federal agents say link weapons purchases, range visits and scouting trips. As shown in The Detroit News, photos published with those filings include blurred faces and close-ups of evidence that prosecutors later described in court. The complaint also itemizes the rifles, ammunition and tactical gear that agents report seizing during Oct. 31 searches.
Evidence From the Range and Storage Unit
According to investigative filings and local reporting, Joint Terrorism Task Force agents tracked the suspects to Downriver Guns in Belleville, where the documents say range visits were recorded on Sept. 25 and Oct. 8, 2025. ClickOnDetroit and the supporting affidavit describe seizures that included AR‑15‑style rifles, shotguns, more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition, tactical vests and GoPro cameras with accessories that prosecutors tied to purchase records.
A Network That Crossed State Lines
Federal court filings and a New Jersey press release indicate the investigation stretched well beyond Michigan. Two men were arrested in New Jersey after allegedly communicating with the Dearborn suspects, and one of them, Tomas‑Kaan Jimenez‑Guzel, was taken into custody at Newark Liberty International Airport as he tried to board a flight to Turkey. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey charged Jimenez‑Guzel with conspiracy and attempt to provide material support to ISIS, and news coverage of those filings noted photos that investigators say showed an ISIS flag and a knife.
Defense and Community Reaction
Defense attorneys have sharply challenged the government’s narrative, with one lawyer blasting the coverage as “hysteria” and describing his client and co‑defendants as gamers rather than a terror cell. AP News and local outlets have reported that authorities said there was no immediate threat to the public following the Oct. 31 raids.
What the Charges Allege
In Michigan, the named defendants are charged under federal law with receiving or transferring firearms and ammunition while knowing they would be used to commit a federal crime of terrorism. The complaint links that theory to alleged efforts to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Those statutory allegations, along with the cited purchase records, surveillance stills and seized items, appear in the filing made public through Fox News.
Next Steps for the Case
All three Dearborn defendants remain in federal custody as prosecutors continue developing the case and, according to prior reporting, have filed notices that could allow FISA‑derived information to be used in court.
