MIAMI _ A Miami man suspected of being inspired by Islamic extremists was arrested Friday on a charge of attempting to blow up a bomb at a shopping mall by FBI counterterrorism agents in an undercover operation.
Vicente Solano, was communicating with a confidential informant who tipped off the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force about his alleged plot to carry out an attack on the Dolphin Mall in Doral, authorities said.
Before the planned bombing, Solano made pro-Islamic State videos, authorities said. But there is no indication he was directed by Islamic State.
When he was arrested, Solano planned to detonate the bomb, which was a fake he acquired from FBI undercover agents _ a strategy deployed in previous counterterrorism investigations in South Florida.
Solano will appear in Miami federal court Monday, when a criminal complaint and affidavit will be filed that charge him with attempting to blow up a weapon of mass destruction.
FBI agents rely on confidential informants to bring them suspicious information, so they can engage a suspect planning a bombing and thwart the plan before it happens. Informants routinely work with undercover agents while recording conversations with the suspect.
