US man arrested over ‘terrorist plots’

A Texas man suspected of leading a far-right anti-government group has been arrested after he allegedly plotted to launch a series of terrorist attacks on policemen, government buildings, and mosques, as well as carry out bank robberies to fund his violent movement.

Robert James Talbot was detained on on Thursday on charges of attempted robbery, solicitation to commit a crime of violence, and possession of explosive material, the FBI has said.

Talbot had set up a Facebook page called the “American Insurgernt Movement” to allegedly recruit like-minded people who wanted to restore “America Pre-Constitutionally and look forward to stopping the regime with action by bloodshed”.

The FBI used undercover agents to investigate Talbot. The agents sold C-4 explosives to Talbot a day before he was arrested.

On October 18, 2013, Talbot asked his new recruits to quit their jobs and join him in robbing banks to fund the revolution he envisioned.

Talbot posted on Facebook that he had gone to four Bank of America branches to “play observation”. He allegedly urged “anyone who robs these banks to kill everyone working for the ‘banking Cartels’ during the heist”.

Talbot’s Facebook post continued: “That is exactly what I will have my men do during the heist. Same goes with the Muslims. Mosques are to be a blast! With three of my guys with FA [full automatic] AK’s [AK-47 semi-automatic rifles], we will send that white house worthless piece of dirt and his Muslim brotherhood a message they will never forget”.

Talbot was arrested on Thursday after meeting at a storage facility in Houston with three men who hed did not know were undercover FBI agents and believed would help him carry out the robbery of an armored car, the criminal complaint says.

At Thursday’s meeting at the storage facility, Talbot produced a “manifesto”, which said: “We must rebel. There is no other option no. Blood and bullets are the only two things that will change this world, short of divine action.”