New York City has historically been a prime target for attack by terrorists. Outside of 9/11, there were other attacks like the original World Trade Center bombing in 1993 and plenty of planned attacks that were stopped before they could happen.

And thanks to New York’s Finest, another attempt may have been thwarted.

The NYPD arrested the unnamed suspect on Thursday after he had expressed interest in attacking Times Square. The suspect had been under surveillance by authorities for some time and talked about killing police and government officials who were in Times Square. Police finally arrested the man after he had mentioned his plan to buy firearms and explosives in order to pull off the attack.

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force had also helped NYPD with the investigation and arrest.

Despite the arrest, authorities have tried to keep details about the investigation and arrest close to the chest. However, according to CNN affiliate WCBS, their sources reported that the suspect was arrested through an undercover sting to catch him when he went to buy the weapons.

Authorities also believe the suspect was acting alone and found no evidence yet to the contrary. He is currently in custody and scheduled to appear in a Brooklyn federal court on Friday.

Times Square
Times Square Reuters