Affidavit unspools alleged terror plot

LOS ANGELES - Three California men excited at the prospect of training in Afghanistan to become terrorists prepared, authorities say, by simulating combat with paintball rifles, wiping their Facebook profiles of any Islamic references and concocting cover stories.

Just two days before they were going to board a plane bound for Istanbul - and then on to Afghanistan - FBI agents thwarted plans that officials said included killing Americans and bombing U.S. military bases overseas.

The arrests last week in the United States and of the man said to be the ringleader, American Sohiel Omar Kabir, 34, in Afghanistan was laid out in a 77-page affidavit, which included references to the group's online video conversations and audio recordings.

While authorities don't believe there were any plans for an attack in this country, two of the men arrested told a confidential FBI informant they would consider American jihad, according to the court documents unsealed in federal court Monday.

The arrests are the latest in a series of cases where U.S. residents were targeted to become terrorists. Last month, a Minneapolis man was convicted of helping send young men to Somalia to join the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group al-Shabab.

Along with Kabir, Ralph Deleon, Miguel Alejandro Santana Vidriales, and Arifeen David Gojali are facing charges of providing material support to terrorists. The charges can carry a maximum 15-year prison sentence.

Defense attorneys did not immediately return calls for comment.

Authorities wouldn't say how the investigation began, but they tracked Kabir's travels last year and flagged violent extremist messages posted online by Santana. Covert FBI agents had conversations with Santana online where he expressed his support of jihad and desire to join al-Qaeda.

"We were on them for quite a while," said FBI Special Agent David Bowdich.