Two men were arrested Sunday after authorities said they planted and attempted to ignite an incendiary device beneath a news media vehicle in Magna, Utah, prompting a large evacuation and a federal investigation.
Police said the device, placed under a news van parked next to an occupied building on Friday, had been lit but malfunctioned. The FBI assumed jurisdiction once the device was confirmed real, and federal agents traced the threat to the suspects' residence in less than two days.
Authorities identified the suspects as 58-year-old Adeeb Nasir and 31-year-old Adil Justice Ahme Nasir, who lived at the same Magna home. Officers arrested both men Sunday when they responded to the residence, according to arrest documents. Adeeb Nasir faces multiple federal charges, including two counts of possession of a weapon of mass destruction and two counts of threat of terrorism. He was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail and ordered held without bail. Adil Nasir had not been charged as of the arrests, the documents said.
A federal search warrant executed at the home turned up additional items described in charging papers as hoax weapons of mass destruction, as well as illegal drugs and two firearms. Investigators reported that the men, when questioned about the recovered items, asserted that the devices were real, prompting the rapid evacuation of the neighborhood while authorities worked to secure and dispose of the items. The devices were ultimately determined to be fake.
Local and federal law enforcement agencies converged on the scene after the device under the media vehicle was discovered. Police cordoned off the area and evacuated nearby buildings while explosive ordnance disposal teams assessed and rendered safe the device, officials said.
Magna is located less than an hour by car from the college campus where conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was fatally shot last Wednesday. Authorities have not publicly linked the two incidents; investigators in the media-vehicle case have said the FBI took the lead because of the placement of an incendiary device in a public setting affiliated with the press.
Court filings and arrest documents describe the two men as restricted persons who were not permitted to possess firearms because of known narcotics use. The seizure of firearms in the federal search prompted additional legal exposure under statutes that bar possession by those with certain drug-related prohibitions.
Investigators from the FBI and local law enforcement continue to examine evidence recovered from the vehicle, the suspects' residence and other locations identified during the federal search. Officials did not publicly disclose a motive, and prosecutors have not filed charges against Adil Nasir as of the arrests. The case remains under active investigation, and authorities have asked anyone with information to contact the FBI.
The arrest and federal inquiry come amid heightened concern about attacks on journalists and public figures, and law enforcement officials routinely elevate investigations to federal level when explosives are used or threatened in public places. The timeline in this case — the device placed Friday, federal tracing in under 48 hours and arrests Sunday — reflects rapid coordination among local police and federal agents.
Prosecutors will determine whether to bring additional federal charges as the investigation proceeds and as evidence is reviewed. Meanwhile, the news outlet involved and occupants of the affected building were temporarily displaced at the time of the evacuation and returned once authorities declared the scene safe.