BREAKING: FBI Arrests 18-Year-Old for New Year’s Eve Terror Plot in North Carolina

Yet another terror attack planned for New Year’s Eve was stopped in its tracks by the FBI.

This time, the FBI arrested an 18-year-old man from North Carolina who was plotting to carry out an ISIS-inspired attack.

FBI Director Kash Patel announced:

The @FBI and partners foiled another potential New Year's Eve attack from an individual allegedly inspired by ISIS.@FBICharlotte will be speaking at a press conference shortly with more details.
Thanks to our great partners for working with us and undoubtedly saving lives.

— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) January 2, 2026

The suspect’s name is Christian Sturdivant.

Here’s his mugshot:

🚨 JUST IN: Law enforcement release the mug shot of alleged ISIS-inspired terror plot in North Carolina for New Year’s Eve — Christian Sturdivant

Islamism is a HUGE threat to the west.

The FBI just saved lives. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/Quaq4iIYzJ

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 2, 2026

Sturdivant has been charged with attempting to provide support to a foreign terrorist organization.

Reportedly, he was making plans to attack people at a local grocery story and fast food location for ISIS.

He was busted after he started talking to an undercover agent about his plans online, whom he told, “I will do jihad soon.”

Fox News has more details:

Christian Sturdivant, 18, of Mint Hill — a town outside Charlotte — was arrested and charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina Russ Ferguson said.

“The FBI and our partners continued working 24/7 over the holidays protecting the American people, and this case out of Charlotte foiling another alleged New Years Eve attacker is the latest example of their tremendous work,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Our teams quickly identified the threat and acted decisively — no doubt saving American lives in the process. Thanks to our Joint Terrorism Task Force and regional partners both in New York and Western North Carolina for their efforts.”

Prosecutors said the alleged plot was foiled after Sturdivant recently began communicating online with an individual he “believed to be affiliated with ISIS but in reality was a government online covert employee,” who is referred to in a criminal complaint as “OC.” In one of the communications on Dec. 14, Sturdivant allegedly sent the OC an image of two hammers and a knife.

ADVERTISEMENT

“During his online communications with the OC, Sturdivant said, ‘I will do jihad soon,’ and proclaimed he was ‘a soldier of the state,’ meaning ISIS,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

“In subsequent online communications with the OC, Sturdivant indicated that he planned to attack a specific grocery store in North Carolina and discussed plans to purchase a firearm to use along with the knives during the attack,” it added.

Ferguson said during a press conference on Friday that the attack was planned to take place in Mint Hill and the suspect worked at a Burger King.

“He talked about where he was planning to do this attack, which was at a grocery store and a fast food restaurant in Mint Hill. Places that we go every day and don’t think that we may be harmed,” Ferguson added.

“He was preparing for jihad, and innocent people were going to die. And we were very, very fortunate they did not,” Ferguson also said, later adding, “I can tell you from his notes he was targeting, Jews, Christians and LGBTQ individuals.”

If you want, you can view the full FBI press conference on the arrest here:

WATCH LIVE: FBI holds news conference on thwarted potential New Year's Eve terror attack https://t.co/u08CYU7IRW

— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 2, 2026

Your reaction?