"35-year-old": FBI arrests woman planning to bomb Capitol, kill senators
This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.
- FBI agents in Albany arrested Jessica Bowie, 35, on Wednesday after an undercover sting operation uncovered her alleged plan to bomb the New York State Capitol
- Bowie allegedly swore allegiance to ISIS and conducted surveillance at the Capitol building at least five times before her arrest
- The Albany woman faces a federal charge of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organisation
A 35-year-old Albany woman has been arrested and charged in connection with an alleged ISIS-inspired plot to bomb the New York State Capitol and kill state senators, the Justice Department announced on Thursday, August 14, 2025.
Jessica Bowie appeared in federal court the day after her arrest to face a single count of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organisation.
The Undercover Investigation
The FBI's Albany field office opened an investigation into Bowie after agents reviewed social media posts she had shared that contained what officials described as anti-American messages.
A confidential FBI source, posing as an ISIS facilitator, began communicating with Bowie in July about her alleged intentions to attack the Capitol building.
According to a criminal complaint filed in federal court, Bowie visited the building at least five times to conduct reconnaissance, with one surveillance visit documented on July 21.
On August 5, she met in person with two FBI informants, a meeting that was recorded on video. During that encounter, she allegedly described her preferred timing for the attack: "ideally do [the attack] on a day when the most amount of senators are there, maybe we time it where we know there's a meeting with the senators, try and get a good enough explosive in there to kill the senators and ideally to destroy as much of the building as possible really."
The complaint further alleges that Bowie discussed with the informants what components she would need to build an explosive device, then visited a Home Depot to purchase the materials after one of the informants provided her with $200 for the items.
Arrest and Charges
In the days before her arrest, Bowie allegedly asked an informant about acquiring a firearm. On Wednesday, she met with two informants in a vehicle and handed over $150 to purchase a gun, a magazine, and ammunition.
During that meeting, the informants showed her an inert explosive device constructed from the components she had bought, demonstrating how it could be detonated.
When Bowie stepped out of the vehicle, she was in possession of the firearm, ammunition, and the inert device. FBI agents arrested her at that moment.
FBI Director Kash Patel credited the Albany field office and its partners, writing on X that the bureau had "disrupted 400+ such attacks at home and around the world" in 2026 alone.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.