A man is being held by police in Brussels, Belgium on suspicion of planning a terror attack on the U.S. embassy.
The counter-terror division of the Federal Police arrested the man, identified by the initials MG, on Saturday in the centre of Brussels, according to information received by Belgian broadcaster RTBF and reported Monday.
He was reportedly being monitored by the country’s security services, and prosecutors said that they had “converging indications” that led authorities to believe that he was planning a credible attack against the U.S. diplomatic offices.
“He was behaving in a way that was suspicious on several fronts and monitoring was therefore put in place against him,” said Eric Van Duyse, spokesman for the federal prosecutor.
“His statements suggested he was going to act soon,” he added.
Arraigned before a magistrate on Monday, the suspect was charged with attempting a terrorist attack and preparation of a terrorist offence. He denies the accusations, according to the prosecutor’s statement.
The Belgian prosecutor’s office added that no more details of the case will be released at this stage.
This is not the first time there has been a security threat against a U.S. station in Belgium. In April, eight Iraqi migrants were found in a truck on the United States Air Force operated Chievres base, and were handed to Belgian authorities. It was not known at the time how the migrants managed to board the truck or if they had intended to enter the American base.
The United States has responded to the increasing threat to Americans citizens overseas by issuing warnings through its embassy channels. During President Donald J. Trump’s working visit to the United Kingdom in July 2018, Americans were advised to avoid “large gatherings” and keep a “low profile”, with the London embassy issuing a “demonstration alert” as far-leftist, anti-Trump protesters prepared to shut down the capital.
Such safety alerts are normally issued at times of political instability, natural disasters, or terrorism.
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