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The Department of Justice has released new information related to an alleged ISIS-inspired terror plot involving two Michigan men accused of planning a terror attack over the Halloween weekend.

Getting into it: According to court documents, the two suspects (20-year-olds Mohmed Ali and Majed Mahmoud, both from Dearborn, Michigan) were charged with conspiring to provide material support to ISIS. Federal prosecutors say the pair, along with an unnamed juvenile and other unidentified co-conspirators, plotted an attack inspired by the 2015 Paris attacks, which killed 130 people. The group referred to the operation as “pumpkin,” and discussed their plans on encrypted messaging apps, where they expressed a desire to carry out a“good deed” in the name of ISIS and achieve “martyrdom.”

The DOJ revealed that FBI agents had been monitoring the group for months, using court-authorized surveillance, GPS tracking, and an informant embedded within their online communications. Investigators watched the suspects go to gun ranges, surveil potential attack locations, and discuss timing and logistics through encrypted chats. According to the 73-page criminal complaint, the suspects scouted targets in Ferndale, Michigan (a Detroit suburb known for its LGBTQ-friendly bars and nightclubs) and prosecutors allege the group deliberately selected venues that “intentionally attract members of the LGBTQ+ community.”

At one point, the juvenile conspirator reportedly sought approval from a local extremist figure on when to carry out the attack, to which the individual allegedly replied, “Do the good deed now.” Investigators also said the men purchased multiple firearms, including AR-15-style rifles, shotguns, and handguns, and stockpiled over 1,600 rounds of ammunition, along with tactical vests, GoPro cameras, and other combat gear in preparation for the attack.

Attorney General Pam Bondi described the case as one of the most significant ISIS-linked plots disrupted in recent years, praising the “extraordinary diligence” of federal and local law enforcement.

This comes one day after lawyers for two of the accused men pushed back against the government’s narrative, arguing that the FBI’s depiction of the events has been exaggerated and mischaracterized. Amir Makled, who represents one of the men, said there is “no evidence” of an actual coordinated terror plot, claiming that the suspects were merely young men with a legal interest in firearms who may have participated in online chats that were misinterpreted. Another attorney, Hussein Bazzi, echoed Makled’s claims.