Houston-area man arrested in terrorism case New Yorker living in Katy accused of 'blood and bullets' rampage plan

A Houston-area man characterized as a "Lone Wolf" plotted to kill police, rob armored cars and blow up government buildings, contend federal authorities who arrested him on the way to an alleged attack.

Still wearing green fatigue pants and a brown T-shirt proclaiming his "American Insurgent Movement," Robert James Talbot Jr. stood in shackles before a federal magistrate Friday.

He was formally advised of the charges, including illegal possession of explosive materials and interfering with commerce by threats of violence. Talbot could spend up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

For at least the past eight months, federal agents carried out an undercover investigation that took them to the street as well as the Internet as they tailed Talbot, met with him and gained his trust.

Talbot, 42, is originally from New York, not married and has no known children. He most recently lived in Katy, and quit his job as a laborer shortly before his arrest.

In court, he was well-spoken and behaved calmly and respectfully.

But federal agents contend Talbot espoused radical, violent ideas, and sought to recruit others willing to take up arms against the U.S. government and the banking system.

Before being arrested Thursday by an FBI SWAT team while allegedly on the way to an armored car robbery in northwest Harris County, authorities said, Talbot shared a written battle cry:

"We must rebel. There is no other option no. Blood and bullets are the only two things that will change this world short of divine action," it read, according to FBI Special Agent Bryan Ellis, of the Houston-based joint task force on domestic terrorism.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Ferko said Talbot used the alias Roberts Liberty and created a Facebook page for the supposed movement.

"I would say he had the will. He was absolutely determined," Ferko said. She likened Talbot to a tortoise: "slow and steady."

It is unclear if anyone was involved other than Talbot and undercover agents or civilian informants for the FBI. Also unclear is whether he ever handled any weapons or explosives that were not provided to him by undercover agents.

More than angry rants

Ferko said in court that several people with criminal records are among the witnesses in the case. They have yet to be identified publicly.

The federal public defender's office, which is representing Talbot, declined to comment.

A Facebook page allegedly made by Talbot describes the American Insurgent Movement as a community for those who, "seek True patriotism and are looking for absolute Freedom by doing the Will of God. Who want to restore America pre-Constitutionally and look forward to stopping the Regime with action by bloodshed."

But law-enforcement authorities contend Talbot did more than post angry rants.

In an affidavit filed in federal court, he is accused of staking out banks and armored cars, which were to be robbed in order to provide funds for his movement.

He allegedly researched how to use explosives to blow the locks off armored cars and asked undercover agents for help getting the explosive as well as a half-dozen grenades.

Confidence in numbers

He also told two undercover agents that he planned to ambush and kill a state trooper who arrested him for driving under the influence in January 2014. He told the agents he planned to kill the trooper at night and wait for other officers to arrive, then kill them as well.

Rich Garcia, a retired FBI agent who worked terrorism cases, said Talbot appears to have been seeking people to join him.

"There are a lot of people out there, and one of the concerns we always have in law enforcement is the 'Lone Wolf,' an individual who would look to do some jihad attack on his own," Garcia said.

"Those are the very difficult ones to find unless they step out of their bounds, or make a comment to someone else, or get caught up in some kind of electronic collection."

Garcia said such people sometimes feel more confident in numbers, and in this instance, the FBI appears to have provided those numbers.

In other words, as Talbot thought he was gaining momentum and drawing others into his movement, he was actually surrounding himself with people working for or aligned with the federal government who then proceeded to track and record his every move.

"It has to be done that way in order to ensure you isolate them," Garcia said.