Three Dearborn men are facing charges in connection with the thwarted terror plot, and new details reveal how emojis used in group chats revealed possible attack dates, the FBI said.
Mohmed Ali, Majed Mahmoud and Ayob Nasser have been charged with conspiring to provide material to support ISIS and having firearms that would be used to commit an act of terrorism on behalf of ISIS.
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Ali and Mahmoud were initially charged earlier this week with “receiving and transferring, and attempting and conspiring to transfer, firearms and ammunition knowing and having reasonable cause to believe that the firearms and ammunition would be used to commit a federal crime of terrorism.”
Nasser was charged on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, and in an amended criminal complaint, the FBI revealed new details related to Nasser’s involvement in the plot.
According to the complaint, Ali, Mahmoud, Nasser and two other people, minors who weren’t named in the complaint, were all put in a group chat together on WhatsApp on June 12, 2025. The two unnamed people are referred to as Person 1 and Person 2.
In a chat on Oct. 18, Person 1 and Person 2 were discussing “fireworks,” “garbage,” and “2026,” which the FBI believes could have been in reference to New Year’s Eve. They also talked about “pumpkins,” which is believed to be a reference to Halloween, which is the day the FBI raided Dearborn homes and arrested Ali and Mahmoud in connection with the alleged plot.
“I believe that the group was debating whether they liked ‘fireworks’ or ‘pumpkins’ as potential attack dates,” the FBI agent wrote in the complaint.
Texts with pumpkin, fireworks emojis
Here’s the Oct. 18 message exchange the FBI is referring to:
Nasser: “I like fireworks.”
Person 1: “I hate fireworks. I’m allergic to..Fireworks...Aww man...I guess no fireworks.”
(The FBI agent said they believe that Person 1 was rejecting New Year’s Eve as the date for an attack.)
Person 1: *sent four pumpkin emojis*
Ali: “HAHAHAHA”
Nasser: “Woohoo” with a firework emoji
Person 1: “Garbage” with an emoji of a trash can with 2026 inside
(The agent believes this was Person 1 rejecting the idea of a potential attack on New Year’s Eve.)
Person 1: *sent emoji of a pumpkin in a treasure chest*
Person 1: *sent emojis of 2026 on a dumpster and a pumpkin on a building*
(The agent believes this was Person 1 saying they preferred Halloween as a potential attack date.)
Nasser: *sent image of President Trump shaking hands with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, with a headline that said “Saudi Arabia Makes Historic USD 600 Billion Investment in U.S. During Trump’s First MENA Visit.
Person 1: “Damn pumpkin it is.”
Messages were sent on Oct. 24
Person 1: *sent screenshot of an Instagram post referencing an Epic Games lawsuit filed against Nasser on Oct. 7, 2025, and said, “Damn now your extra cooked bro aww man I guess pumpkin it’s ok bro I guess ok I guess pumpkin then bro damn ok I guess.”
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Ali: *sent a sticker of a masked/hooded person in black clothes with his right index finger pointed up with the rest of his fingers in a closed fist.*
“I know from my training and experience that the gesture of pointing one’s right index finger up is commonly used by ISIS members and supporters,” said the FBI agent.
What’s next
Nasser appeared in federal court for an initial hearing on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025.
He waived the formal reading and will remain in jail until his next hearing.
Nasser, Ali and Mahmoud are scheduled to appear in court for detention hearings on Monday, Nov. 10, 2025.