HOBOKEN—Federal agents arrested a 26-year-old Hoboken resident on Thursday after a two-month-long undercover operation, intercepting eight assembled Molotov cocktails that the man allegedly planned to throw at a prominent Palestinian-American activist in Brooklyn.

Alexander Heifler was taken into custody at his uptown apartment on Willow Avenue after FBI investigators watched him construct the incendiary devices using mason jars, Everclear alcohol, and cloth wicks, according to court documents unsealed on Friday. 

Arrest the Result of Two-Month Investigation

The arrest marks a rare federal counterterrorism intervention in Hudson County, where the FBI Newark Field Office and NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force conducted the joint investigation from February to late March. 

Court papers reveal that the investigation began quietly on February 10, when Heifler allegedly contacted an undercover FBI operative via video call and discussed constructing Molotovs for “self-defense.” During an in-person meeting the following day, Heifler allegedly detailed plans to attack 31-year-old Palestinian activist Nerdeen Kiswani and flee the country to Israel.

On March 4, Heifler drove to Kiswani's Bay Ridge residence to conduct surveillance, according to the complaint. The operation culminated on March 26 at Heifler's Hoboken apartment, where undercover agents observed him assemble the eight devices. He allegedly told the operative he was "about to" deploy the cocktails when FBI agents moved in to make the arrest.

Local Palestinian Activist Targeted

Kiswani, a CUNY Law School graduate who served as her class's 2022 commencement speaker, is a co-founder of Within Our Lifetime, a Palestinian advocacy organization active in New York City protests. Born in Jordan to Palestinian refugees from the village of Beit Iksa and raised in Brooklyn, she has organized approximately 100 rallies since October 2023. 

"For years, we have been sounding the alarm on the violent consequences of anti-Palestinian incitement," Kiswani said in a statement released by her organization. "We refuse to be intimidated."

The arrest follows a year of targeting that included an online campaign by the pro-Israel group Betar USA, which published a social media post in January 2025 offering a $1,800 reward for information leading to Kiswani's location. The post used references to pagers, a nod to the September 2024 Lebanon electronic attacks. On February 26 of this year, Kiswani filed a federal lawsuit against Betar USA under the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, alleging the group conspired to interfere with her civil rights. No direct link between Betar USA and Heifler has been established, but he is a member of another pro-Israel group, the Jewish Defense League.

Within Our Lifetime, founded in 2015, operates without paid staff and faced an Instagram ban in February 2024. The organization has been active in protests across New York City, drawing both support and sustained opposition from pro-Israel groups.

Suspect to Face Trial on Federal Charges
On Friday, Heifler appeared before Magistrate Judge Stacey D. Adams in the U.S. District Court in Newark, charged under federal firearms statutes, including unlawful possession of destructive devices and unlawful making of firearms. Each count carries a maximum penalty of ten years imprisonment and a $10,000 fine. 

Heifler was ordered to be detained pending a bail hearing. He remains in federal custody. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey.

Sources

• U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Jersey, "Hoboken, New Jersey Man Charged with Possession and Making of Molotov Cocktails " (March 27, 2026)

• The New York Times, “Man Tied to Pro-Israel Extremists Accused of Targeting Palestinian Activist” (March 27, 2026)

• Jeff Goldman, NJ.com, “N.J. man charged in plot to kill prominent pro-Palestinian activist” (March 27, 2026)

• John Heinis, Hudson County View, “Feds: Hoboken man made Molotov cocktails in foiled plot to kill Palestinian activist” (March 27, 2026)

• Associated Press, “Plot to firebomb Palestinian activist’s home disrupted by NYPD undercover operation, authorities say” (March 27, 2026) 

• Hoboken Girl, “Hoboken Man Charged in Thursday Night’s FBI Raid on Willow Terrace” (March 27, 2026)