The woman conspired with a Florida neo-Nazi leader to attack the power grid, officials said.
BALTIMORE — On Monday, officials said a Maryland woman conspired with a Florida neo-Nazi leader to attack several electrical substations in the Baltimore area.
The arrest of Sarah Beth Klendaniel of Baltimore County is the latest in a string of arrests across the country as authorities warn that the electrical infrastructure could be a vulnerable target for domestic terrorists. On Monday, it was not immediately clear whether she had a lawyer to speak on her behalf.
She conspired with Brandon Russell, who was recently arrested in Florida, to take out the power grid by firing at substations with “sniper attacks,” saying she wants to “completely destroy this entire city,” according to a criminal file unsealed Monday. The complaint also included a photo of a woman, identified by authorities as Klendaniel, wearing tactical gear with a swastika and holding a rifle.
US Attorney Erec Barron praised investigators for cracking down on hate-motivated violence.
“When we are united, hatred cannot win,” he said at a press conference, announcing the allegations.
Authorities declined to elaborate on how the planned attack was racist, but suggested that the defendants wanted to draw attention to their case.
According to the complaint, Russell has a long history of ties to racist groups and Nazi beliefs, as well as past plans to attack U.S. infrastructure systems. On Monday, it was also not clear if he had a lawyer.
In recent months, concerns about protecting the country’s power grid have been heightened by attacks or threats of attack.
In Washington state, two men were arrested last month on charges of vandalizing substations in the weeks leading up to Christmas that left thousands without power. One suspect told authorities they did it to break into the business and steal money.
December shelling at substations in central North Carolina led to power outages affecting tens of thousands of customers. Law enforcement officials said the shooting was targeted, although no one was arrested. Legislators have proposed legislation to toughen penalties for intentionally damaging utility equipment.
Baltimore Gas and Electric, which controls the local power grid, thanked law enforcement and said on Monday that no substations were damaged, that service was not disrupted, and that there are currently no known threats to the facilities.
“It is believed that the substations were not attacked due to any association with BGE or Exelon, or due to any specific vulnerability,” the BGE press release said. “We have longstanding partnerships with law enforcement and state and federal network regulators to secure critical infrastructure; this work is even more important now as threats have increased in recent years.”
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texasstandard.news contributed to this report.
