The FBI captured two people, one a nationally known neo-Nazi leader, before they could launch an attack on Baltimore's power grid that had the potential to "completely destroy this whole city," authorities said Monday.
The suspects, Brandon Russell and Sarah Clendaniel, were taken into custody last week, in Florida and Maryland, respectively, officials said.
Federal authorities described the alleged plot as “racially or ethnically motivated.” More than 61% of Baltimore residents are Black.
Russell, 27, is a founder of the Atomwaffen Division, a neo-Nazi group bent on "ushering in the collapse of civilization," according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. The group admires Charles Manson and supports "the idea of lone wolf violence," according to the Anti-Defamation League.
The alleged plot was first flagged in June of last year after an FBI informant claimed to have been contacted by Russell, who wanted "to attack electrical substations and has provided guidance on how to cause maximum damage," according to the criminal complaint filed against the pair.