News THE FBI GROOMED A 16-YEAR-OLD WITH “BRAIN DEVELOPMENT ISSUES” TO BECOME A TERRORIST

[Tarquinius]

The FBI Groomed a 16-Year-Old With “Brain Development Issues” to Become a Terrorist

An undercover FBI agent befriended teenager Mateo Ventura online. When he turned 18, he was arrested for supporting ISIS.

theintercept.com

An undercover FBI agent befriended the teenager online. When he turned 18, he was arrested for supporting ISIS.

LAST WEEK, the Department of Justice announced the arrest of a teenager in Massachusetts on allegations of providing financial support to the Islamic State group.

A flurry of reports picked up on the arrest of Mateo Ventura, an 18-year-old resident of the sleepy town of Wakefield, echoing government claims that an international terrorist financier and ISIS supporter had just been busted in the United States. The Department of Justice’s own press release on the case likewise trumpeted Ventura’s arrest for “knowingly concealing the source of material support or resources that he intended to go to a foreign terrorist organization.”

The only problem with the case and how it has been described, however, is that according to the government’s own criminal complaint, Ventura had never actually funded any terrorist group. The only “terrorist” he is accused of ever being in contact with was an undercover FBI agent who befriended him online as a 16-year-old, solicited small cash donations in the form of gift cards, and directed him not to tell anyone else about their intimate online relationship, including his family.

The arrest has shaken his family, who denied allegations that their son was a terrorist and said that he had been manipulated by the FBI. Ventura’s father, Paul Ventura, told The Intercept that Mateo suffered from childhood developmental issues and had been forced to leave his school due to bullying from other students.

“He was born prematurely, he had brain development issues. I had the school do a neurosurgery evaluation on him and they said his brain was underdeveloped,” Ventura said. “He was suffering endless bullying at school with other kids taking food off his plate, tripping him in the hallway, humiliating him, laughing at him.”

 

[Tarquinius]

bump

 

[Tarquinius]

Best Case Scenario: With the right lawyer, they get a cash settlement from the government.

Worst Case Scenario: They won't have to deal with the mentally handicapped son anymore.

Yep, if we just throw more money at the problem of government tyranny it will go away.

 

[Wolnir]

Worst Case Scenario: They won't have to deal with the mentally handicapped son anymore.