New Jersey – Federal prosecutors have revealed explosive new details tying a man arrested while trying to flee the United States to a foiled terror plot targeting bars and nightclubs in Michigan. The connection now places Dearborn directly at the center of a widening federal investigation.
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According to a newly filed federal brief in New Jersey and obtained by New Media Detroit, Tomas-Kaan Jimenez-Guzel was not just attempting to travel overseas to join ISIS. Investigators say he had already embedded himself with individuals in Michigan who were actively discussing a mass-casualty attack. Those individuals, previously identified in court records by the aliases “Bukhari” and “Athari,” were already tied to a Halloween-time plot targeting nightlife venues in the Ferndale area. The new filing now links Jimenez-Guzel to them, placing him inside the orbit of suspects already accused in the Michigan case.
The filing states that Jimenez-Guzel traveled to Dearborn between late June and early July 2025, where he stayed at the home of “Bukhari,” now identified as Mohmed Ali, and met with “Athari,” a juvenile suspect. During that time, prosecutors say the group discussed the possibility of carrying out a “Paris-style” attack, a reference to coordinated mass shootings targeting crowded public venues.
The details go further than previously known. According to prosecutors, members of the Dearborn group indicated they planned to carry out “the same thing as France,” referencing the 2015 ISIS attacks. Jimenez-Guzel did not distance himself from that discussion. Instead, he asked whether they were actually going to carry out the attack and speculated that, “knowing Athari,” it would likely take place at a club or disco. That level of detail points to specific target types and shows he was not just aware of the plot, but actively engaging in conversations about how it could unfold.
Prosecutors also say Jimenez-Guzel acknowledged directly that the group was planning an attack inside the United States. In recorded communications, he stated that individuals in Dearborn were planning to “do something here,” a statement that investigators say reflects his knowledge of the Michigan plot before it was publicly exposed.
Even more concerning, authorities say he indicated he was willing to carry out a similar attack himself. During one conversation, he told others that if he were unable to leave the United States, he would do “what Athari is gonna do.” Prosecutors cite that statement as evidence that he was not solely focused on traveling overseas, but was prepared to carry out violence domestically if his plans to join ISIS were blocked.
The filing also reveals that Jimenez-Guzel referenced the planned attack in advance, describing it to others as a “nice surprise” and warning that “a lot of stuff is going to be happening.” Investigators say those statements were tied directly to the same Michigan plot involving the Dearborn suspects.
The connection became even clearer after the Michigan arrests. Federal authorities say that when the Dearborn-based suspects were arrested in late October 2025, Jimenez-Guzel panicked. In communications cited by prosecutors, he warned others that “our names are in it” and that federal agents would soon be looking for them. He pushed to leave the country immediately, telling associates they needed to go “today or tomorrow” and that if they stayed, “we are cooked.”
That sense of urgency triggered a rapid change in his travel plans. Prosecutors say he rebooked his flight to leave sooner and began taking steps to erase communications and avoid detection. He was arrested on November 4, 2025, at Newark Liberty International Airport before boarding a flight to Turkey, which prosecutors say was intended as the first leg of a trip to ISIS-held territory in Syria.
Investigators also uncovered physical evidence tying him directly to the Michigan suspects. During a search of his dorm room, agents found a notebook containing the names “Athari” and “Bukhari,” along with their phone numbers. The notebook also included references to jihad, including notes on when it is permissible to carry out violence.
Beyond the Michigan connection, prosecutors outlined a pattern of escalating violent behavior. In online messages, Jimenez-Guzel spoke about killing people, targeting a local synagogue, and murdering Jews and Shia Muslims. He also expressed a desire to carry out violent acts using weapons and discussed targeting individuals he identified online. Prosecutors argue those statements demonstrate that the threat extended beyond overseas ambitions and into potential domestic attacks.
Authorities allege the Michigan-based group was focused on bars and nightclubs, with plans surfacing around Halloween 2025, a time when those venues would be heavily populated. The plot, described as “Paris-style,” suggests a coordinated attack designed to inflict mass casualties in crowded public spaces. Multiple suspects, including teenagers, were arrested as part of that investigation, which was linked to online extremist networks and ISIS influence.
Taken together, the new federal filing paints a far more detailed and concerning picture. Prosecutors say this was not an isolated individual acting alone. Instead, they describe a network of individuals communicating, meeting in person in Dearborn, and discussing attacks against civilians inside the United States.
The emerging details also come amid heightened concern following a recent synagogue attack in West Bloomfield. Prosecutors point to Jimenez-Guzel’s own statements about targeting Jewish individuals and places of worship as further evidence of the type of threats investigators believe were developing.
The case now highlights a chilling reality. According to federal authorities, individuals connected to a terror plot were not only communicating online, they were meeting in Michigan, discussing targets, and preparing for potential attacks on U.S. soil.
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