Patel Reveals FBI Thwarted 715 Planned Terror Attacks Across U.S. Last Year

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The FBI prevented 715 planned terrorist attacks on U.S. soil over the past year, according to Director Kash Patel, who disclosed the previously unreleased figure while discussing the bureau’s counterterrorism efforts and the threats authorities continue to monitor.

Patel shared the statistic during an interview with The Epoch Times, saying the FBI also disrupted four separate terror plots in a 30-day span during December.

He credited the bureau’s success to the resources and support provided by the Trump administration.

Patel said the December plots targeted communities in Southern California, Texas, Florida, and New York.

He said the suspects allegedly planned to attack schools, places of worship, businesses, and other public gathering areas before FBI agents arrested those involved.

The FBI director said terrorist organizations, including ISIS, continue seeking opportunities to conduct attacks inside the United States.

Patel said investigators continue to see terrorist groups attempting to enlist people already inside the United States, as well as foreign nationals and others vulnerable to extremist recruitment.

He also said investigators must carefully balance acting quickly enough to prevent violence while allowing enough time to identify and dismantle an entire terrorist network instead of arresting only a few individuals.

Patel said agents combine intelligence analysis with legal investigative tools and cooperation among federal, state, and local agencies to identify threats before they become attacks.

According to Patel, those arrested in connection with the December plots are facing lengthy federal prison sentences.

In a post on X following the interview, Patel wrote, “Every terrorist attack stopped is a family that gets to go home.” He added that the FBI is “finding terrorists before they strike—not after” and praised the bureau’s agents for their work.

The FBI has also announced several other major counterterrorism investigations this year.

In June, Patel said agents disrupted an alleged plot targeting a White House UFC event scheduled for America’s 250th birthday.

According to Newsmax, investigators allege the suspects planned to detonate explosives before using snipers to target President Donald Trump, Tennessee Sen. Marsha (R), Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton (R) and Rep. Carol Miller (R-WV).

Court records allege that one of the suspects viewed the planned attack as a way to ignite a broader uprising in the United States.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) identified the alleged organizer as an illegal alien from Mexico who had remained in the country through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

The FBI has also reported other recent counterterrorism cases, including the disruption of an alleged ISIS-inspired New Year’s Eve plot in North Carolina and a separate investigation involving an alleged ISIS-linked scheme targeting multiple states during last year’s Halloween celebrations.

Patel said the bureau remains focused on identifying emerging threats and working with partner agencies to stop attacks before they occur, citing the hundreds of disrupted plots as an indication of the scope of the FBI’s ongoing counterterrorism operations.