Two European citizens charged with plotting to attack senior US government officials

Aug. 29 () –

The US Department of Justice announced on Wednesday that two European citizens have been charged with conspiring for several years to attack senior US government officials.

The defendants are Thomasz Szabo, a 26-year-old Romanian, and Nebmnaja Radovanovic, Nemanja Radovanovic, a 21-year-old Serbian, and face one count of conspiracy, 29 counts of making threats and false information about explosives, and four counts of transmitting threats in interstate and foreign commerce.

Szabo, Radovanovic and others were part of a conspiracy — which began in December 2020 and lasted until January 2024 — in which they obtained personal information, including home addresses, of their victims and carried out “swatting” attacks, which involves calling emergency services with a false report of a serious incident.

In furtherance of the conspiracy, they committed attempted murders with firearms against 40 private victims and 61 official victims, including members of Congress, cabinet-level Executive Branch officials, senior officials of federal law enforcement agencies, and state officials.

They also made bomb threats against four companies, four religious institutions and a university, according to a statement from the US Department of Justice.