Two men were arrested in Salt Lake City after authorities say an incendiary device was found beneath a Fox-affiliated news vehicle, officials said, and federal and local investigators recovered explosives, firearms and electronic evidence at a home tied to the suspects.
Separately, the FBI director faced scrutiny over public communications during the manhunt following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, but the White House and Justice Department publicly affirmed their support for his leadership.
Salt Lake City bomb squads and Unified Fire Authority personnel responded on Friday to reports of a suspicious device under a vehicle near an occupied building, according to a probable cause statement reviewed by local media. Officials said the device had been ignited but "failed to function." The vehicle targeted was operated by a local Fox affiliate, FOX13, which confirmed that investigators were looking into an incendiary device found under one of its vehicles.
Police later executed a warrant at a home in Magna, Utah, owned by Adeeb Nasir, 58, and located both Nasir and 31-year-old Adil Justice Ahmed Nasir at the residence, the probable cause statement said. Authorities found additional items they described as explosive-related components, other explosive devices, firearms, illegal narcotics and paraphernalia, and electronic devices believed to contain evidence of the alleged crimes.
Officials said the men initially told investigators the devices were real, prompting evacuations of the house and nearby homes while bomb squads rendered the scene safe. Two devices recovered at the scene were later determined to be "spoof" weapons of mass destruction, according to the arrest documents. Multiple signs and flags were visible on the property in footage taken by the targeted outlet, including a flag using the phrase "Let's go taco" and one reading "Is he dead yet?" FOX13 said it had no information from law enforcement about a motive and thanked investigators for their response.
Both men face multiple felony counts, including two counts related to weapons of mass destruction for manufacture, possession or use; attempted aggravated arson; four counts of possessing explosive or incendiary components; and two counts alleging threats or hoaxes involving weapons of mass destruction, according to jail records and the probable cause statement. Adeeb Nasir, a U.S. citizen born in Pakistan, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail and ordered held without bail. The location of Adil Nasir's detention was not immediately clear.
Investigators from the FBI assisted local authorities in the inquiry, and agencies did not immediately provide comment beyond the information in the probable cause statement. FOX13 said it was working closely with law enforcement and its risk management team and that employee safety remained a priority.
The arrests come amid heightened attention to political violence and threats to the news media in the wake of high-profile attacks on public figures. Federal and local authorities said the case remains under active investigation.
In Washington, the FBI director was publicly defended by senior Justice Department officials and the White House after criticism over the agency's communications in the investigation that followed the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk during a public debate on a college campus.
Kirk was shot and killed on Sept. 10, 2025, at a debate at Utah Valley University. Within roughly 33 hours investigators had detained and charged a suspect, Tyler Robinson, 22, in connection with the killing, officials said. During the search for a suspect, FBI Director Kash Patel posted to social media that a "subject" was in custody and would be interviewed; he later clarified that the person referenced had been released after interrogation. Patel told television hosts he could have "worded it a little better" but defended his choice to share information as part of efforts to be transparent with the public.
The post and its aftermath drew criticism from some law enforcement officials and commentators, with reports that internal and external frustration briefly surfaced over the timing and wording of the public messages. On Monday, however, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a statement expressing confidence in Patel's leadership and credited his work and that of law enforcement partners in securing the suspect's arrest.
The White House also denied claims that it planned to remove Patel from his post. The creation of a new co-deputy FBI director role and the appointment of Andrew Bailey alongside Dan Bongino prompted reporting and commentary that the move was aimed at reshuffling leadership at the bureau. Bailey, who began a new role as co-deputy FBI director on Monday, denied that his appointment was intended to signal a change at the top.
The series of personnel and public-relations developments followed a separate dispute earlier the same day in which three former high-ranking FBI officials filed a lawsuit alleging they were unlawfully dismissed, a matter that had already placed additional scrutiny on the bureau's senior ranks. Insiders quoted by media outlets suggested tensions existed during the initial manhunt hours, but officials close to the director and to the investigation described the reactions as heightened by the emotional response to the assassination.
Patel defended his approach on television, saying the FBI's role includes eliminating targets and subjects not involved in an investigation and that he stood by his disclosure of investigative steps. "Could I have worded it a little better in the heat of the moment, sure. But do I regret putting it out? Absolutely not," he said. A joint statement from Bondi and Blanche said their working relationship with Patel was strong and that the suspect's arrest was the result of outstanding investigative work.
Both the Salt Lake County investigation into the attempted attack on a news vehicle and the federal review of the Kirk homicide and subsequent communications remain active. Officials said they would release additional information as the inquiries progress.