Federal agents arrested 28-year-old Joseph Neumayer on Sunday at John F. Kennedy International Airport after Israeli authorities deported him for allegedly attempting to destroy a U.S. Embassy office in Tel Aviv using improvised explosive devices.
Neumayer, a dual citizen of the United States and Germany, faces federal charges including “attempting to destroy, by means of fire or explosive” U.S. government property. According to a Department of Justice (DOJ) release, Israeli officials first encountered Neumayer on May 19 when he approached the embassy with a dark backpack and spat on a guard without provocation. The guard attempted to detain him, but Neumayer fled, leaving behind his bag.
Inside the backpack, authorities discovered three Molotov cocktails—homemade incendiary devices filled with flammable liquid. Law enforcement tracked Neumayer to his hotel and placed him under arrest.
The DOJ revealed further disturbing details from Neumayer’s social media, where he posted: “join me as I burn down the embassy in Tel Aviv. Death to America, death to Americans, and [expletive] the west.” Investigators also linked him to online threats to assassinate President Donald Trump.
Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Kash Patel, confirmed Neumayer was taken into custody by FBI agents upon his arrival in the US. “He will now face justice,” Patel said.
Attorney General Pam Bondi echoed Patel’s stance, stating, “This defendant is charged with planning a devastating attack targeting our embassy in Israel, threatening death to Americans, and President Trump’s life. The Department will not tolerate such violence and will prosecute this defendant to the fullest extent of the law.”
Neumayer now faces a minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, with a possible fine of $250,000. A federal judge in the Eastern District of New York will determine sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella emphasized the broader implications: “As alleged, Neumeyer, armed with potentially lethal devices, sought to cause chaos and destruction at the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv. His arrest and prosecution clearly show that my Office and the Department of Justice will not tolerate violence in our homeland or violence targeting U.S. interests abroad.”
