A Long Island man has been arrested for attempting to conspire with the terror group al-Qaida. Federal agents and Suffolk County police say the man and several associates planned on giving the group information. Marcos Alonso Zea, 25, of Brentwood, was arrested Friday morning. A grand jury charged him with conspiracy to commit murder and attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
Zea, who also goes by Ali Zea, first attempted to connect with al-Qaida two-years-ago. In 2011, Zea flew from Kennedy Airport to London en route to Yemen to connect with the terrorist organization. During the trip he was stopped by British customs agents and sent back to the U.S. New York’s FBI Director, George Venizelos, says after Zea’s trip to Yemen became a bust, he instead financed and inspired a Babylon teen with similar views.
Zea advised Justin Kaliebe on how to properly travel to Yemen to wage “violent jihad.” Kaliebe was arrested back in January at Kennedy Airport as he attempted to board a flight. The Babylon High School student plead guilty in February for attempting to provide material support to terrorists.
Kaliebe was said to be inspired by Yemeni cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, and Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahnman -the man behind the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. The high school student wanted to travel to fight the Yemeni army and kill those fighting against the Sharia of Allah. In July he also praised Osama Bin Laden for bringing “an entire nation to its knees.” All the recordings of Kaliebe and Zea were taken by an undercover NYPD intelligence officer.
Sandra Zea, Zea’s mother, told NBC that her son was questioned in January and stands by her son’s innocence.
"He’s a good, good guy -- a good son, a good brother, a good person with anybody," Sandra Zea, told NBC news. "I know my son ... I don’t understand what is going on here. I want this thing cleared.”
Prosecutors also confiscated his hard drive and found copies of al-Qaida’s “Inspire” magazine in it.
[Source: NBC]
Feature Image Courtesy of Newsday