FBI Foils Plot to Attack Houston Synagogue, Arrests Made in Case

A North Carolina woman and a Harris County juvenile were accused of plotting to drive a vehicle into Congregation Beth Israel in Houston and kill as many Jews as possible, according to court records in a case that has triggered fresh security concerns across the city’s Jewish community.

Angelina Han Hicks, 18, of Lexington, North Carolina, was arrested Wednesday in Davidson County and held on a $10 million bond on two felony conspiracy counts, conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury. Warrants also say she conspired with two men identified only as Teegan and Angel, whose last names were not known.

The alleged attack was tied to Congregation Beth Israel, the oldest Jewish congregation in Texas, founded in 1854. Authorities said the investigation stretched across three states and involved the federal government, and one local prosecutor said officials initially worried the threat could be more imminent than the date listed in the warrants.

Court documents list April 21, 2028, as the planned date for the attack, but investigators cautioned that the date did not mean the danger was distant. The case has drawn attention because it targeted a long-established Houston synagogue in a region with a large Jewish population and comes as antisemitic threats against houses of worship remain under intense scrutiny nationwide.

Congregation Beth Israel and its affiliated Shlenker School closed Wednesday after Houston police relayed possible threats to synagogue leadership. The Jewish Federation of Greater Houston said it was in contact with law enforcement, the synagogue and the school, and said other local Jewish institutions could remain open after coordination with the FBI and the Houston Police Department.

Law enforcement also increased patrols around Houston-area Jewish institutions as the threat assessment continued. For families connected to Beth Israel, the closure meant a sudden disruption to religious services and school operations at a campus that has served the city for generations.

The synagogue describes itself as an intimate, vibrant and growing Reform Jewish congregation with religious, social and educational programs. In the wake of the arrests, Houston officials and Jewish leaders moved quickly to harden security, underscoring how vulnerable houses of worship remain when threats are identified before an attack can happen.