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A federal grand jury in Albuquerque has indicted five residents of a rural New Mexico compound on new terrorism-related charges connected to an alleged conspiracy to attack FBI and military personnel.


The five defendants were arrested last year after authorities found 

 living in squalor in the small community of Amalia, near the New Mexico-Colorado border. They also discovered a large cache of weapons, leading to charges of conspiracy and illegal possession of firearms.
The 

 announced Thursday charges Jany Leveille, 36; Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, 40; Hujrah Wahhaj, 38; Subhanah Wahhaj, 36; and Lucas Morton, 41; with a conspiracy to provide material support for terrorist attacks on federal officers and employees.
"The indictment alleges that the defendants conspired to provide material support in preparation for violent attacks against federal law enforcement officers and members of the military," said Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers in a 

. "Advancing beliefs through terror and violence has no place in America, and the National Security Division continues to make protecting against terrorism its top priority."


Attorneys for the defendants withheld comment, saying that they are waiting for more information from the government.


"We still don't have all the documents from the government regarding this case," said Amy Sirignano, who represents Morton, as 

Sirignano said in an email sent to the AP on behalf of the defense that their clients would plead not guilty when they are arraigned next week.


Four of the compound residents also are charged with kidnapping a child who later died. The remains of a small child were discovered 

. The boy, 3-year-old Abdul-Ghani Wahhaj, was the son of defendant Siraj Ibn Wahhaj and had been reported missing from his home in Georgia since December 2017. The search for the child led the FBI to begin 

 and to the eventual raid.
New Mexico state child abuse charges were dismissed last year when prosecutors 

.
"Federal prosecutors say that between Dec. 2017 and August 2018, the group, who are either siblings or related by marriage, had 'a common plan to prepare for violent attacks on government, military, educational and financial institutions,' " NPR's Vanessa Romo 

The Justice Department statement laid out the allegations related to preparations for attacks against federal officers and employees:

Crime, Law and Justice

Richard Gonzales

Author

The search for a missing child led to a raid of a rural compound and the grisly discovery of 11 emaciated children. Their relatives were training to attack U.S. personnel, federal authorities say.

Feds indict 5 New Mexico compound residents on terror and gun charges

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