Two people, including a teen from North Carolina, have been arrested in connection with a plot to attack a Houston-area synagogue, the FBI said on Thursday.
Angela Hicks, 18, was arrested on Wednesday at her home in Lexington, North Carolina. Additionally, a juvenile was charged in Harris County, Texas.
FBI Charlotte Joint Terrorism Task Force began looking into the plot after receiving a tip from a North Carolina law enforcement agency that a person was planning to target members of the Jewish community.
According to the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office, evidence discovered during the investigation found that Hicks was planning a mass casualty event at Congregation Beth Israel in southwest Houston.
According to its
official website, Congregation Beth Israel is the oldest Jewish congregation in Texas with a congregation of 1,500 families. It’s also home to The Schlenker School for young students up to the fifth grade.
A fast-moving, multi-state FBI investigation led to the arrests in the case.
“@FBICharlotte and @FBIHouston acted quickly, and working with our outstanding local partners in the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office, the subject has been taken into custody,” FBI Director Kash
Patel wrote on X.
Hicks faces charges of felony conspiracy to commit assault with a deadly weapon to kill or commit serious injury.
The judge set Hicks’ bond to $10 million.
Her next court date has been scheduled for May 12. She is currently being held in the Davidson County Detention Center. It remains unclear whether she has retained legal representation.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Houston said that it has communicated with leadership at Congregation Beth Israel and The Shlenker School after learning about the threats against them.
“After significant discussions with both the FBI and HPD, we have been advised that it is safe for other local Jewish institutions to remain open,” it said in a
Facebook post. “Local law enforcement agencies are increasing patrols around Houston-area Jewish institutions.”
Patel said the investigation is ongoing.
"Thank you to our Joint Terrorism Task Force personnel, FBI teams, and local partners for their decisive work that likely saved lives,"
Patel said.
According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), there were
9,354 antisemitic incidents in the United States in 2024, the highest number on record since ADL began tracking antisemitic incidents 46 years ago.
President Donald Trump, shortly after taking office, signed an
executive order to combat antisemitism, which called on all federal agencies to protects the rights of Jewish citizens and aggressively enforce law and order against all antisemitic acts.
