Report: FBI Passed On So-Called "Lone Wolf" Terror Arrest
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New information surrounding the arrest of a Manhattan terror suspect shows the New York City Police Department moved in after federal agents decided not to pursue the case.
According to the New York Times, the Federal Bureau of Investigation took a pass on arresting Jose Pimentel, 27, because they weren't sure he posed much of a threat.
Sources tell the Times the feds were also concerned that a confidential informant may have played too large a role in the case.
Police say they decided to arrest Pimentel over the weekend because he was on the verge of testing a pipe bomb.
But the Times says some federal investigators wondered if Pimentel could have ever made a bomb without the informant's help.
Authorities say Pimentel was targeting U.S. troops returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan and also wanted to blow up post offices and police cars.
They also say Pimentel was an al-Qaeda sympathizer but was not tied to any terror group.