TERROR/INTELLIGENCE
Kuwait Foils ISIS Plot Against Shia Mosque; Suspect Built Drone for Vital Facility Attack
On August 12, 2026, Kuwaiti authorities announced they had disrupted an apparent ISIS plot to target a vital facility. The arrested suspect is a Kuwaiti citizen alleged to be aligned with ISIS. Officials say he had received training on unmanned aerial vehicle use and improvised explosive device construction and had built a functional drone for the attack. Separately, Kuwaiti authorities arrested two minors trained by ISIS in explosives manufacturing, with reporting indicating the intended target of that separate cell was a Shia mosque. Al-Naba issue 560 referenced the case. This is the first confirmed instance in this reporting period of an ISIS operative in the Gulf building a functional drone for offensive use, and the recruitment of minors into operational cells is a significant escalation.
Sources: NYPD OSI Reporting 8-16-26; Indago Islamic State Weekly Update; Anadolu Agency; Arab Times; Kurdistan 24.
🛡️ My thoughts: You NEED to pay attention to these disrupted plots. Drones are becoming central to many disrupted attacks. At some point in the future, someone will use a drone to kill our people here in the homeland. I put out a few drone videos last year and received some flak over it. People need to wake up to this emerging threat and start trying to figure out how to protect the body of Christ from this new menace.
AI-Generated Anti Semitic Threat Depicts Attack on Federal Reserve
On August 6, 2026, a racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist online user posted an AI-generated image of a masked figure in a jacket bearing the SS symbol, brandishing a firearm outside an office building, captioned “Omw to the Federal Reserve.” The same day the user posted a 51-second video showing a masked person shooting an antisemitic caricature of a Jewish person. In further posts the user urged followers to take action, writing that the sooner they started “doing things IRL the better.” The Federal Reserve System operates the Board in Washington plus 12 regional banks, including a New York branch in lower Manhattan. AI-generated recruitment content is now cheap, fast, and portable, and it is being pointed at Jewish community targets as well as federal ones.
Source: NYPD OSI Reporting 8-16-26.
🛡️ My thoughts: I have noticed that many disrupted plots involved a published AI video of the attack the person wanted to conduct. This is leakage and we should all be paying attention to these threats.
IRGC Consolidates Power in Tehran After Death of Ali Khamenei
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has completed what analysts describe as a “white coup” following the February 2026 airstrike that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. His son Mojtaba Khamenei was named the new Supreme Leader on March 9 and has not been seen in public since, reportedly suffering from severe injuries sustained in the same strike. On August 9, hardliner Major General Mohsen Rezaei, a longtime opponent of diplomatic concessions and the former commander of the IRGC during the Iran-Iraq war, was appointed secretary of the Supreme National Council. The move gives the IRGC operational control of Iran’s national security, foreign policy, and wartime economy at a moment when Iran’s proxy network across Yemen, Iraq, and Lebanon remains active and Iran’s economy is contracting under a U.S. naval blockade of Kharg Island. Iran and its proxies retain the capacity and the stated intent to strike Western and Jewish targets abroad.
Sources: Indago Iran Weekly Update; NYPD OSI Reporting 8-16-26; Reuters; The New York Times.
🛡️ My thoughts: I am deeply concerned about the direction of the Iran war. An analyst, whom I respect, said yesterday that Iran reached out to their proxies and sent personnel from Iran during the cease fire to help set up future attacks against Americans. Remember, there are at least 30k Iranian proxy members in the United States right now. I cannot overstate how concerned I am with future events.
Colorado Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Join ISIS
On August 12, 2026, Davin Daniel Meyer, 21, pleaded guilty in federal court in Colorado to attempting to provide material support to ISIS. Meyer was arrested at Denver International Airport on July 14, 2023, as he prepared to travel to Türkiye and then Iraq to join the group. Prosecutors said Meyer had been radicalized through extremist videos online and was reported to law enforcement at age 17 for making violent threats tied to his extremist beliefs. After turning 18 he communicated with people he believed were ISIS recruiters, who were actually FBI informants, and met three times with an undercover operative. Sentencing is set for December 17, with the government capping its recommendation at 10 years followed by lifetime supervised release, and the judge allowed Meyer to remain free on bond pending sentencing.
Sources: NYPD OSI Reporting 8-16-26; Courthouse News Service.
🛡️ My thoughts: Know that we have Americans fighting for ISIS right now and are learning how to wage war against America and Christians. They will return home with their knowledge.
US and Nigeria Formalize Priority on Protecting Middle Belt Christian Communities
On August 12, 2026, the U.S. Department of State hosted the second session of the U.S.-Nigeria Joint Working Group in Washington. The group’s stated agenda named three priority areas: protecting Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, holding perpetrators of violence accountable, and building military cooperation between the two governments. Participants also flagged continuing challenges in receiving credible casualty reports and identified gaps in humanitarian expenditure transparency. This is the first U.S.-Nigeria working group session in 2026 to name the protection of Middle Belt Christians as a stated deliverable rather than a background concern, and it comes as ISWAP, ISIS-Sahel, and Boko Haram continue targeted attacks on Christian villages and pastors across northern and central Nigeria.
Sources: NCTC Counterterrorism Digest 13-19 August 2026; U.S. Department of State.
🛡️ My thoughts: This is a good first step. I am not for war. However, this would be a just war that I can support. We will continue to watch what America will do to help Christians being slaughtered in a genocide.
VIOLENT CRIME
Funeral Shooting at LDS Meetinghouse Leaves One Dead — Kearns, Utah
One man was killed and two others were critically injured in a shooting outside a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse at 4660 W. 5015 South in Kearns, Utah, on Monday, August 17, 2026. Unified Police responded to multiple 911 calls just before 11:30 a.m. and found three 18-year-old males shot during a funeral service. Vilisoni Angilau, 18, was pronounced dead at Intermountain Medical Center. Witnesses told investigators that a 17-year-old was fighting another male in the church parking lot when the teen’s father, Afuhia Masiu Manatau, 45, handed his son a gun, and the son shot two people before those men took the gun and shot him. Manatau was booked for investigation of murder and for discharging a firearm causing serious injury, and three nearby Kearns schools went into secure protocol during the police response.
🛡️ My thoughts: I did a video breakdown of this incident that you can see below.
Drive-By Shooting as Funeral Procession Formed — Columbus, Ohio
Two people were shot outside Antioch Jordan Church on Woodland Avenue in Columbus, Ohio, on Monday, August 17, 2026, as a funeral service was concluding and the procession was forming for the cemetery. The service was for Demontae Johnson, 20, who was killed on July 27. Columbus police said someone in a dark-colored vehicle fired into the crowd and that investigators believe multiple people were involved with at least one shooter. Both victims are expected to survive. Sgt. James Fuqua said more than 200 people were on the property at the time, and police have asked the public for information.
🛡️ My thoughts: This happened on the same day as the LDS gang funeral shooting. I have seen an uptick in shootings at funerals this year. I need you to pay attention to who you are memorializing at your church. If you sense danger, based on the person’s life history, then cancel it. Don’t bring danger to your church. They lived a life of crime and violence. Why would we allow their cohorts and enemies to our church to do harm? If there is no indicator of violence, hopefully they come and learn about the sacrifice Christ made for us and accept his forgiveness.
Federal Hate Crime Charges in Central Synagogue Attack — New York, New York
Larry Montes, 46, of the Bronx, was charged federally after an attack during Shabbat services at Central Synagogue in Manhattan on Friday, August 14, 2026. Roughly 375 people were present when Montes stood up, shouted, and struck two ceremonial silver candlesticks, damaging them. Prosecutors say he punched a female congregant, then spat on and headbutted a security guard while being handcuffed, using racial and religious slurs. He is charged with two counts of committing a hate crime, each carrying up to 10 years, and one count of destruction of religious property resulting in bodily injury, carrying up to 20 years. The case was announced by Jamie McDonald, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
Squatter Attacks Three Contractors With Metal Pipe — Berkeley, California
Donald Malone, 28, was arrested after contractors found him sleeping inside the shuttered Trinity United Methodist Church near Bancroft Way and Dana Street in Berkeley, California, on Saturday morning, August 15, 2026. Police say the workers asked Malone to leave, he refused, and after they called police he attacked all three with a five-foot metal pipe. Officer Byron White said the crew asked the man to leave, he refused, they called police, and that is when he attacked them. Investigators put the damage inside the building at roughly $20,000, including broken electrical equipment, overturned speakers, and a smashed drum set. Malone faces three felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon and one felony count of vandalism, and prosecutors have petitioned to revoke his probation on a prior assault conviction.
🛡️ My thoughts: I worked 30 years in this county. I do not expect that he will get significant jail time for this crime. For those of you worshiping and working security in socialist run counties like this one, please be careful. The politicians have made these places less safe and have pro criminal policies that hurt your safety.
Gunfire Outside Church During Sunday Service — Houston, Texas
Houston police responded to a report of gunfire outside a church at 14109 South Post Oak Road on Sunday, August 16, 2026. The call came in at 11:19 a.m., in the middle of a service attended by about 70 people, and a nearby resident who heard the shots alerted police. The service ended early and the congregation was moved out of the building. No one was struck and no one was transported for treatment. HPD said officers arrived within minutes and had the area under control, and no suspect information has been released.
🛡️ My thoughts: When you hear gunfire outside, lock the church down. Lock the children’s ministry down and have armed people stand near the entrances to protect the flock.
SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY REPORTS
Reader-submitted suspicious activity at U.S. churches. If you see something similar in your area, submit your own report at alert.christianwarriortraining.com. We rely on YOU to submit reports to help us warn other churches.
Rural Missouri — Verbal Threat From Former Member, Ongoing The wife of a pastor at a rural church in Missouri received a phone call from a former member of the congregation who said God had told him to come confront the church about removing the pastor. The former member has a history of substance abuse and a pending weapons charge. The report is classified as an ongoing threat and has been referred to the county sheriff’s office.
Rural Missouri — Two White Pickups Parked in Lot, Fled on Contact On two separate occasions, a security team member at a rural church in Missouri observed a white pickup truck park in the church lot after services had already begun. In both instances the driver never exited the vehicle. Both drivers left the moment a security team member walked out to make contact. The two vehicles were reported separately and involved different trucks.
San Leandro, California — First-Time Attendee Filmed Congregation and Scanned Camera Positions A security team member at a church in San Leandro, California reported that a first-time attendee recorded himself and the congregation during the service without permission. The man seated himself dead center to the platform and repeatedly scanned the room, paying particular attention to the placement of the church’s cameras. When the security team approached him after the service, he became evasive.
Midland, Texas — Man in All Black Livestreamed Entryway, Then Closed on the Platform A security team member at a church in Midland, Texas observed a man dressed entirely in black livestreaming himself in the building entryway. The man then filmed the pastor while the sermon was in progress, and afterward moved forward to a seat within four rows of the stage. The security team quietly closed in around him and contained the situation without incident.
Georgetown, Texas — Wooden Cross With Writing Left by Man in White Truck A man arrived at a church in Georgetown, Texas in a white truck and left a wooden cross bearing writing on it at the property. The drop was captured on the church’s camera system. The subject did not attempt to enter the building.
Payette, Idaho — Motorcyclist Watched After-Service Meal From the Lot A motorcyclist stopped in the parking lot of a church in Payette, Idaho, removed his helmet, and watched an after-service meal for several minutes before leaving. He made no attempt to approach the building or speak to anyone.
SEX CRIMES
Cross Church Maintenance Worker Charged With Assaulting a Minor — Rogers, Arkansas
A former maintenance employee at Cross Church in Rogers, Arkansas, identified in court documents as Barrowman, was arrested in mid-August 2026 on allegations that he sexually assaulted a juvenile at the church. Court documents describe three separate incidents. In the first two, the suspect is accused of groping the victim over the victim’s clothes, and those two incidents are said to have occurred about two weeks before the third. The suspect held a maintenance position that gave him routine access to the church facility. He is no longer employed there.
🛡️ My thoughts: You are more likely to have your children sexually assaulted by a church staff member than you are to have an active shooter. make sure you take our training course on protecting children.
Pastor Arrested on Multiple Child Sexual Assault Charges — Blythe and Indio, California
Riverside County sheriff’s deputies arrested Lino Hernandez, 41, on multiple child sexual assault charges after serving a search warrant at his home in Blythe, California, in August 2026. Hernandez served as a pastor at churches in Blythe and in Indio. The investigation opened in June 2026 after an allegation that a minor had been sexually assaulted. Investigators said publicly that there may be additional victims and asked anyone with information to come forward. Authorities have not named the congregations where he served.
ARSON AND SUSPICIOUS FIRES
Man Charged With Setting Fire at Church Entryway — North Miami Beach, Florida
Joseph Drew, 39, is accused of placing a wicker basket on top of a sign at the entryway of Arch Creek Bible Chapel, 13740 NE 20 Place in North Miami Beach, Florida, and setting it on fire on Monday, August 10, 2026. Surveillance video recorded the fire being set, and Drew later acknowledged to investigators that he was the person on the video. Police arrested him on Saturday, August 15, at a Valero gas station at 1900 NE 163rd Street and booked him into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. He is charged with second-degree arson, burglary of an occupied structure, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Drew told investigators he blacked out, and no one was injured in the fire.
🛡️ My thoughts: Every church needs a burglar/fire alarm and a 4k video system. This is the most basic security action you can take to protect your church.
INTERNATIONAL
ISCAP Kills 38 Christians in Coordinated Village Attacks — Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of Congo
The Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP), formerly the ADF, killed 38 Christians and captured 24 in a coordinated assault on three villages in the Mambasa Territory of Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of Congo, the week of August 9, 2026. A single engagement inside that campaign killed 32 civilians and took 24 hostages, and more than 60 homes and shops were burned in the same series of attacks. Since December 2024, ISCAP has killed more than 1,300 Christians in Ituri, and the group is now expanding westward toward Haut-Uélé, a gold-mining province where humanitarian workers are managing an active Ebola response. Islamic State central media featured the killings in this week’s al-Naba issue 560.
Sources: Barnabas Aid; Indago Islamic State Weekly Update (17 August 2026); Al-Naba Newsletter 560.
🛡️ My thought: My dream is to form a mission of Christian former special operators and SWAT team members to go to Nigeria and help organize them for self defense. I would love to help them organize and fight back. Keep these people in your prayers.
Two Christians Kidnapped in Boko Haram Raid — Mahoula, Cameroon
Two Christians from separate congregations were kidnapped when militants raided the village of Mahoula in the Mayo-Sava division of far north Cameroon on Monday, August 10, 2026. Open Doors attributes the attack to Boko Haram, which has operated across this stretch of the Nigeria border since 2014. The region has seen repeated kidnappings, sexual assaults, destruction of property, and killings. Pastor Babien of nearby Amchidé said believers there are struggling under relentless insecurity and are exposed during farming season. As of this reporting, there is no word on the release of the two men.
Pastor and Six Church Workers Held Incommunicado — Wenzhou and Shanghai, China
Pastor David Tang of Purpose Driven Church, also called Biaogan Church, in Wenzhou was detained in Shanghai at about 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, along with a financial administrator from his congregation and five ministry workers from Shanghai. The congregation is unregistered and operates independently of the government-controlled Three-Self Patriotic Movement. Authorities have given no charges, and the seven remain held with their whereabouts unknown. Family members and attorneys have not been told where they are or what their legal status is. ChinaAid founder Bob Fu said authorities increasingly use criminal or financial allegations in place of explicitly political or religious charges, and officials blocked online posts about the detentions.
🛡️ My thoughts? China is on a tear with Christian home churches. Please keep the Chinese Christians in your prayers. With the influx of communist/socialist politicians getting elected, please remember how much Christians suffer persecution under these types of governments.
Man Convicted of Raping Pensioner Outside Church — Harrow, England
A jury at Harrow Crown Court found Bruke Desalagne, 33, guilty of rape on Sunday, August 16, 2026, after deliberating for just over two hours. The attack happened around midnight on July 23, 2025, outside St John’s Church on Station Road in Harrow, northwest London, where Desalagne moved a heavily intoxicated man in his 60s from a public bench to an area behind construction hoarding at the church. The assault lasted roughly 20 minutes, and prosecutors said Desalagne paused each time pedestrians or traffic passed, including a double-decker bus, then resumed once they were gone. A woman watching from her car recorded part of the attack on her phone and called police, who arrested Desalagne at the scene on suspicion of rape and sexual assault and charged him the following day. Desalagne entered the United Kingdom as a clandestine entrant, claimed asylum, and was granted indefinite leave to remain in 2022. Sentencing is set for autumn 2026.
🛡️ My thoughts: The most basic security you can do for your church is a 4k video system along with an alarm system. Here, the video would capture the crime, which the police can use to help prosecute criminals.