They arrested a former soldier who planned a jihadist attack in the United States.

"Causing the largest number of victims." It was the goal of a former American soldier who wanted to commit a attack against a march of white supremacists in the city of Long Beach, California. He was arrested on Friday after an undercover FBI agent contacted the suspect and handed him a deactivated bomb, which he said was working and which allowed him to be located.

The detainee was identified as Mark Steven Domingo, of Reseda, California, a former infantry soldier with experience in combat in Afghanistan.

"This investigation was successful in interrupting a very real threat, planned by a trained combat soldier and repeated over and over that he wanted to make the largest number of casualties"California Central District Attorney Nick Hanna said.

The prosecutor's office, the FBI and the LAPD felt that the man was considering a "scary terrorist plot".

According to court documents, Domingo has expressed in several messages on the Internet and to an FBI source "his support for violent jihad (holy war), a desire to search punishment for attacks on Muslimsand a desire to become a martyr. "

After weighing several possible targets, such as Jews, churches and police, the suspect decided to plan the detonation of a bomb during a demonstration of white supremacists last weekend at Long Beach (California).

"In fact, Domingo asked an accomplice, who had collaborated with the FBI, to look for someone to make bombs," the prosecutor said. bought hundreds of nails last week use them as shrapnel inside the explosive and thus cause more damage.

The court document indicates that Domingo has published on the Internet a video professing his faith in Islam March 2nd and the next day, published another one, where he badured that "The United States needs another event like Las Vegas", referring to the shooting in this city in October 2017.

After the attack on two mosques in Christchurch (New Zealand), in mid-March, the accused pointed out in another message that "there should be a punishment" for this attack.

If you are found guilty of seeking material support and attempting to carry out an attack could face a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, said the Ministry of Justice.