SoCal terror plot: Expert lauds FBI's efforts to uncover, thwart attack

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The effort by federal agents to uncover and thwart a Reseda man's alleged plot to attack targets in Los Angeles was a textbook example of preventative efforts in a post 9/11 world, said one law enforcement expert.

Steve Gomez, the former special agent in charge of the FBI's counterterrorism division in Los Angeles, sat down with Eyewitness News to talk about the case.

Mark Steven Domingo, 26, an Army veteran who lives in Reseda, was arrested last week on domestic terrorism charges. Authorities say he was plotting to detonate an improvised explosive device to inflict mass casualties in the Los Angeles area.

Law enforcement officers went undercover to communicate with Domingo online and then provided him with a device that he thought was an explosive before arresting him.

"To me it's a great day for America," Gomez said. "Because all Americans saw that post 9/11 this is exactly how the FBI and (Joint Terrorism Task Force) were structured to prevent attacks from occurring."

Finding individuals who are plotting such attacks is the first challenge, he said.

"A lot of times you do have to start on the internet," Gomez said. "It seems like that's where these types of individuals are exhibiting these violent behaviors and these ideologies that they're believing in, that they want to go commit a violent attack."

The case is also a reminder that people need to stay aware of their surroundings and be sure to report anything suspicious to law enforcement, he said.

To see more of his take on the case, watch the video above.