In a shocking turn of events, a Jordanian national by the name of Hashem Younis Hashem Hnaihen, 43, was arrested and indicted on Thursday for his alleged involvement in making explosive threats and attacking a Florida energy facility. The motive behind these attacks, according to prosecutors, was the perceived support of the United States government for the state of Israel.

Starting in June, Hnaihen is believed to have targeted businesses in the Orlando area that he perceived as supporting Israel. Under the cover of darkness and wearing a mask, he allegedly smashed the glass front doors of these establishments and left behind "Warning Letters," which were addressed to the United States government. These letters laid out several political demands, culminating in a chilling threat to "destroy or explode everything here in whole America, especially the companies and factories that support the racist state of Israel."

As the investigation progressed, Hnaihen's attacks escalated. In late June, he reportedly broke into a solar power generation facility in Wedgefield, Florida. Over the course of several hours, he systematically destroyed solar panel arrays by smashing panels, cutting wires, and targeting critical electronic equipment. Hnaihen left behind two more copies of his threatening demand letter at the scene. The estimated damage caused amounts to over $700,000, according to court documents.

Law enforcement agencies launched a joint effort to identify the masked attacker. Their collaborative efforts paid off when Hnaihen was apprehended on July 11, shortly after another "Warning Letter" was discovered at an industrial propane gas distribution depot in Orlando. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland described the defendant's alleged motives as a hate-fueled desire to carry out mass violence in the country.

If convicted, Hnaihen faces serious penalties, including a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for each threat offense and up to 20 years for the destruction of an energy facility offense. The U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, Roger Handberg, announced that the United States intends to forfeit assets connected to the offense, as notified in the indictment.

During Hnaihen's detention hearing, he was ordered to be held in custody pending trial. Handberg emphasized that targeting and attacking businesses based on perceived beliefs is unacceptable and vowed to work with law enforcement partners to prosecute individuals who make violent or hate-based threats.

FBI Director Christopher Wray condemned the violence and destruction caused by Hnaihen, stating that it would never be tolerated. He asserted that the FBI and their allies would collaborate to pursue and hold accountable those who resort to such acts.

The investigation into this case was carried out jointly by the FBI and the Orange County Sheriff's Office, with support from the Maitland Police Department, the Winter Park Police Department, and the Orlando Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan is leading the prosecution.

This incident follows a similar event in May, where two Jordanian nationals attempted to breach the Marine Corps Base in Virginia while being in the United States illegally. The connections, if any, between the two cases have not been confirmed at this time.