Bryant Neal Vinas

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Why Are More Latinos Converting to Radical Islam?

Antonio Martinez is the latest troubling case

(Newser) - The FBI's arrest of alleged would-be terrorist Antonio Martinez highlights a growing concern among US officials: Why are more Latinos converting to radical Islam? The question is especially important because Latino converts are being radicalized in the US—and al-Qaeda appears to be specifically recruiting them, because they can move...

How a Queens Kid Became an al-Qaeda Fighter

'Impressionable' punk fan radicalized himself in search for structure

(Newser) - Just before he left to become an al-Qaeda fighter 2 years ago, Long Island native Bryant Neal Vinas left a box of mementos. Inside were all-American keepsakes like Yankee caps, alongside dog tags and a copy of Inside the Jihad, a book by a spy who infiltrated al-Qaeda. That was...

New Yorker Was 'Ready to Deliver Suicide Bomb'

His terrorist handler told him he needed more religious instruction

(Newser) - A Queens man who pleaded guilty to aiding al-Qaeda was ready and willing to deliver a suicide bomb for the terrorist organization, he revealed to investigators. His handlers told 26-year-old Bryant Neal Vinas, however, that he needed more "religious" training before he could carry out such a mission, he...

US Man Charged in Afghanistan Rocket Attack

Long Islander also gave al-Qaeda info on NYC mass transit: feds

(Newser) - An American arrested in Pakistan last fall faces charges for firing rockets at a US military base in Afghanistan, the New York Times reports. Bryant Neal Vinas, 26, also allegedly gave al-Qaeda detailed information about the New York City transit system and Long Island Railroad in return for military training.

4 Stories