U.S. Soldier Arrested For Allegedly Threatening To Attack News Network, Distributing Instructions For Building Explosives

U.S. Soldier Arrested For Allegedly Threatening To Attack News Network, Distributing Instructions For Building Explosives

Jarrett William Smith gave detailed instructions about how to build an explosive device to an undercover FBI agent, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday.

  • By Haley Samsel
  • Sep 24, 2019

An Army soldier who expressed interest in fighting for a far-right group in Ukraine and allegedly wanted to attack a major U.S. news network has been arrested by the FBI in Kansas.

Jarrett William Smith was taken into FBI custody on Sept. 21, a day after he gave an undercover officer detailed instructions on how to build an explosive device with the purpose of targeting unnamed Texas politicians. Smith, who recently transferred from Fort Bliss, Texas to Fort Riley, Kansas, was charged with distribution of information related to explosives and weapons of mass destruction.

During his Sept. 20 conversation with the FBI agent, Smith was asked if he had any suggested political targets in Texas. He mentioned Beto O’Rourke, the Democratic presidential candidate and El Paso native who previously represented the region in Congress.

Undercover Agent: You got anyone down in Texas that would be a good fit for fire, destruction and death?

Smith: Outside of Beto? I don’t know enough people that would be relevant enough to cause a change if they died.

In August, Smith also allegedly communicated with a confidential FBI source in an online chat group where he said he was looking to find more “radicals” like himself to help with a terror attack in the U.S.

During his conversation with the source, Smith said he wanted to kill anti-fascists, or Antifa, and potentially target the headquarters of a major American news network. The specific news outlet that Smith mentioned was redacted from the complaint.

Smith originally joined the military after speaking with an American who fought with a far-right Ukrainian group called the Right Sector. He has kept in contact with the man, Craig Lang, since 2016 and expressed a strong desire to join the military group before he decided to enlist in the U.S. military.

In an interview with the FBI following his arrest, Smith allegedly admitted to agents that he knows how to make improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and routinely provides instructions on how to build them to people online.

“He admitted that he provides this information even to individuals who tell him they intended to use the information to cause harm to others,” the FBI wrote in the criminal complaint. “Smith stated that he did this to cause ‘chaos.’”

According to the agent writing the report, Smith said “that if chaos results in the death of people, even through information he provided, it doesn’t affect him.”

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • AI Is Now the Leading Cybersecurity Concern for Security, IT Leaders

    Arctic Wolf recently published findings from its State of Cybersecurity: 2025 Trends Report, offering insights from a global survey of more than 1,200 senior IT and cybersecurity decision-makers across 15 countries. Conducted by Sapio Research, the report captures the realities, risks, and readiness strategies shaping the modern security landscape. Read Now

  • Analysis of AI Tools Shows 85 Percent Have Been Breached

    AI tools are becoming essential to modern work, but their fast, unmonitored adoption is creating a new kind of security risk. Recent surveys reveal a clear trend – employees are rapidly adopting consumer-facing AI tools without employer approval, IT oversight, or any clear security policies. According to Cybernews Business Digital Index, nearly 90% of analyzed AI tools have been exposed to data breaches, putting businesses at severe risk. Read Now

  • Software Vulnerabilities Surged 61 Percent in 2024, According to New Report

    Action1, a provider of autonomous endpoint management (AEM) solutions, today released its 2025 Software Vulnerability Ratings Report, revealing a 61% year-over-year surge in discovered software vulnerabilities and a 96% spike in exploited vulnerabilities throughout 2024, amid an increasingly aggressive threat landscape. Read Now

  • Motorola Solutions Named Official Safety Technology Supplier of the Ryder Cup through 2027

    Motorola Solutions has today been named the Official Safety Technology Supplier of the 2025 and 2027 Ryder Cup, professional golf’s renowned biennial team competition between the United States and Europe. Read Now

  • Evolving Cybersecurity Strategies

    Organizations are increasingly turning their attention to human-focused security approaches, as two out of three (68%) cybersecurity incidents involve people. Threat actors are shifting from targeting networks and systems to hacking humans via social engineering methods, living off human errors as their most prevalent attack vector. Whether manipulated or not, human cyber behavior is leveraged to gain backdoor access into systems. This mainly results from a lack of employee training and awareness about evolving attack techniques employed by malign actors. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis.

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.