OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
2:25 PM – Friday, March 27, 2026
Following a weeks-long undercover operation, the New York Police Department (NYPD) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) announced that they have successfully thwarted an alleged plot against a Palestinian activist.
Alexander Heifler, 26, was arrested in Hoboken, New Jersey, on Thursday night.
According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Heifler now faces charges of unlawful possession of firearms and the unlawful creation of destructive devices. Authorities allege that he intended to “go after” activist Nerdeen Kiswani at her home.
“The charges of unlawful possession of destructive devices and making of destructive devices each carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000,” the DOJ stated.
In the criminal complaint, FBI Special Agent Gerald Casertino wrote that in February, Heifler had participated in a group video call in which he said he needed to be “careful” about what he was going to say. During the call, joined by an undercover law enforcement officer, Heifler then asked if anyone had space to train people to use “instruments that were not knives, guns, or crossbows for ‘self-defense.’”
He also clarified that he wanted the space in order to throw “Molotovs.”
According to the federal complaint, Heifler met with the undercover agent the following day to finalize details. During this meeting, the defendant discussed targeting a specific residence for which he already possessed the address, while further detailing his plans for the Molotov cocktails. He told the officer he had a vehicle available but insisted on obtaining a fraudulent license plate, noting his intent to flee the country in April shortly after the assault.
Heifler later drove the undercover agent to Kiswani’s home to conduct surveillance, where he spoke of preparedly throwing a dozen incendiary devices at the house and two parked cars. After the agent personally witnessed the defendant assembling eight Molotov cocktails on Thursday, law enforcement moved in to make the arrest.
“I feel very blessed that they were able to thwart this, but it’s something that is a constant possibility for people who speak up on behalf of Palestine,” said Kiswani. She said the plot would not deter her from her activism.
Kiswani, 31, has organized many pro-Palestine protests in New York City. She also co-founded Within Our Lifetime, an organization in New York City that “has been building the movement for Palestine in NYC since 2015.” Within Our Lifetime holds to four “points of unity.” Their first belief is that all Palestinians have a right to return to “historic Palestine from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.”
“We are anti-Zionists,” the organization asserts as its second pillar. “Zionism is a settler-colonial white supremacist ideology built on the genocide and dispossession of the Palestinian people. We therefore reject all collaboration and dialogue with zionist organizations through a strict policy of anti-normalization. The liberation of Palestine requires the abolition of zionism.”
The third point of unity the group believes is that Palestinians have a right to “resist the Zionist occupation by any means necessary.” Finally, the group believes they “have a responsibility as those living within the United States to resist the violence of the U.S. empire at home and abroad.”
“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,” Hoboken Mayor Emily Jabbour stated, assuring residents that there was no ongoing threat.
Heifler has not yet entered a plea and is expected to appear in Newark federal court later on Friday.
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