(NEW YORK) -- The NYPD and the FBI said they have disrupted an alleged plot to kill a Palestinian activist, according to law enforcement officials and unsealed court documents.
Authorities arrested Alexander Heifler in Hoboken on Thursday night on charges of unlawfully possessing and unlawfully making firearms. He is also accused of plotting to "go after" activist Nerdeen Kiswani, co-founder of Within Our Lifetime, who is an organizer of many of the pro-Palestinian protests in New York City, according to authorities.
Kiswani is not identified by name in the criminal complaint, but she posted on social media that the NYPD informed her she was the alleged target.
"Late last night the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force informed me that a plot against my life that was 'about to' take place, and that agents had conducted an operation in Hoboken related to this plot," Kiswani wrote in a post on X.
She said "for months," some organizations and politicians "have encouraged violence against my family and me. I will have more to say as additional details come to light. I will not stop speaking up for the people of Palestine."
Heifler believed he was talking to a likeminded individual about his alleged plot but it was really an undercover NYPD officer, authorities said.
Heifler allegedly discussed a plan to build a dozen Molotov cocktails and "also planned exactly where to throw the Molotov cocktails at the [victim's] Residence, and suggested throwing several Molotov cocktails at the [victim's] Residence and two Molotov cocktails at cars parked outside the [victim's] Residence," the complaint said.
"Heifler also told the [undercover officer] that he had an address where they could hide out after they threw the Molotov cocktails" and discussed a plan to leave the country, the complaint said.
The undercover officer personally witnessed Heifler making eight Molotov cocktails in Hoboken on Thursday, prompting his arrest, the complaint said. The plan was to throw them at Kiswani later that night, law enforcement sources told ABC News.
“As alleged in a criminal complaint, a Hudson County man has been charged in connection with a plot to construct and use improvised incendiary devices targeting another individual’s residence. This is an ongoing investigation. There is no current threat to the community. We thank our law enforcement partners for their work in identifying and removing this potential threat to the citizens of New Jersey,” U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer said in a statement announcing the charges.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said this operation is "exactly how our intelligence and counterterrorism operation is designed to work," in a statement.
“This NYPD investigation uncovered an alleged plot by Alexander Heifler to carry out a violent attack against Nerdeen Kiswani. Our undercover officer identified and tracked the threat — first online and then in person — allowing us to disrupt the planned attack, take Heifler into custody, and ensure that no one was harmed," Tisch said.
Heifler has not yet entered a plea. He appeared briefly in court, where he was ordered to be held pending a possible future bail application. It is not immediately clear whether he has a lawyer.
Hoboken, New Jersey, Mayor Emily B. Jabbour told residents that there was no danger to them and no ongoing threat.
"There will be an increased police presence in certain areas of the city in the coming days. Residents can expect to see additional patrols and community policing efforts, particularly in high-traffic and public gathering areas," Jabbour said.