adminThe FBI announced it disrupted a New Year’s Eve terror plot in Mint Hill, North Carolina, after an 18-year-old U.S. citizen was arrested for allegedly plotting an ISIS-inspired attack. Federal prosecutors say the suspect, identified as Christian Sturdivant, was charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, and authorities moved quickly to prevent bloodshed on December 31.
Prosecutors revealed chilling details: Sturdivant reportedly planned to strike a grocery store and a fast-food restaurant, and agents found hammers, butcher knives, tactical gloves, and a handwritten plan titled “New Years Attack 2026” during a December 29 search of his home. The young man worked at a Burger King and had hidden weapons under his bed despite family attempts to secure them, underscoring how ordinary places can become targets in the hands of radicalized individuals.
The plot was uncovered after the suspect began communicating online with someone he believed was affiliated with ISIS but who was in fact an undercover government employee; court filings say he pledged allegiance and told the covert contact, “I will do jihad soon.” Officials also revealed Sturdivant first drew attention in January 2022 when, as a minor, he was connected to extremist contacts and later referred for psychological care, showing the long, dangerous arc radicalization can take.
This operation should be a point of pride for Americans who still trust our law enforcement to do the hard, unglamorous work of keeping communities safe. The FBI’s 24-hour surveillance and coordination with local authorities ensured the public was never in harm’s way, proving that when federal agents have the tools and cooperation they need, lives are saved. Conservatives must rally behind these agents and demand the resources and authority they require to stop plots before they become headlines.
At the same time, this case raises uncomfortable but necessary questions for policymakers about social media, mental health, and family safety. Radicalization through online platforms — including accounts that glorify foreign terror leaders and promote violence — is a real and present danger, and tech companies have shown time and again they will not police this content unless forced to do so. If we care about protecting our neighbors and loved ones, we must hold platforms accountable, strengthen mental health interventions, and empower families rather than punish them for trying to secure dangerous items in the home.
This is not the time for hand-wringing or hollow gestures; it is time for decisive action. The suspect now faces federal charges that carry serious penalties, and conservatives should press for tough enforcement, clearer rules for online radical content, and unwavering support for the men and women who stop attacks before they happen. America must remain vigilant, punish those who would do us harm, and never allow the safety of our communities to be sacrificed to political correctness or tech-company excuses.
