FBI Investigates Dearborn Terror Suspects for Alleged Plot Targeting Cedar Point Amusement Park
DEARBORN, Mich. — Federal investigators have revealed chilling new details about an alleged terror plot involving three Dearborn residents accused of conspiring to provide material support to ISIS and potentially targeting Cedar Point, one of the Midwest’s most popular amusement parks.
According to a criminal complaint unsealed Wednesday, the FBI began investigating after suspicious travel patterns and online activity suggested that the suspects — identified as Mohmed Ali, Majed Mahmoud, and Ayob Nasser — may have been scouting Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, as part of a possible attack plan. All three men are now facing federal terrorism-related charges, including conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and possession of firearms intended for use in a terrorist act.
The 35-page complaint details two separate trips Nasser and another unnamed associate, referred to as “Person 2,” made to an amusement park that closely matches the description of Cedar Point. Though the park is not explicitly named, numerous details — including distance, schedule, and surrounding landmarks — clearly identify it.
Suspicious Trips to Cedar Point
Investigators say that on September 18, 2025, Nasser and Person 2 left a Dearborn residence at approximately 9:10 a.m. and arrived at the amusement park around 11:40 a.m. in a vehicle registered to Ali. Security footage captured them approaching the entrance even though the park was closed until 6 p.m. for its Halloweekends event. When a staff member instructed them to leave, Nasser reportedly ignored several opportunities to turn around, driving along a service road that circles the park and is reserved for hotel and marina guests.
Phone records revealed that while still in the area, Nasser called Ali at 12:13 p.m., suggesting coordination among the suspects.
The next day, September 19, Nasser and Person 2 returned to the park, leaving Dearborn at 9:06 a.m. and arriving around 11:20 a.m. Security cameras showed them purchasing two single-day admission tickets using a credit card tied to Person 2’s residence. They were later seen in a closed parking lot, where a security officer questioned them. The pair claimed to be waiting for the park to open, but their vehicle departed minutes later — long before the park actually opened that evening.
Digital Evidence and Search History
Further investigation uncovered disturbing online searches conducted days before the trips. On September 16, Nasser allegedly looked up maps of the amusement park and searched, “Is it crowded on Halloweekend at [amusement park name]?” When agents searched a computer seized from the suspects’ Dearborn home, they found additional evidence of coordination and interest in the park’s layout and attendance patterns.
FBI Assessment
“Based on my training and experience, I believe these visits were consistent with pre-operational surveillance for a potential attack,” wrote FBI Special Agent Nicholas Czech in the complaint.
While Cedar Point officials have not been directly named in the investigation, the park has reportedly been cooperating fully with federal authorities. No attack occurred, and there is currently no known threat to the public.
The investigation remains ongoing as federal prosecutors prepare for preliminary hearings for Ali, Mahmoud, and Nasser in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.