Alexandria Man Pleads Guilty in U.S. Capitol Bomb Plot

Amine El Khalifi, an illegal immigrant from Morocco living in Alexandria, will spend at least 25 years in prison after admitting he tried to carry out a suicide bomb plot against the U.S. Capitol in February, according to WTOP.

On Friday, El Khalifi pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court, saying he constructed a plot on the Capitol with men he believed were al-Qaida operatives. The men were actually FBI officials.

in a parking garage at the Capitol where he told undercover police he intended to shoot people before detonating a bomb. The gun and bomb were inoperable and officials said the public was never in danger.

El Khalifi, 29, did some last-minute planning for the proposed attack at an Alexandria hotel on Feb. 14, according to an FBI affidavit released the day of his arrest.

Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 14. Friday's plea deal requires the judge to sentence El Khalifi to a term of between 25 and 30 years, according to WTOP. He could have faced life in prison if convicted in a trial.

El Khalifi in December told undercover police he wanted to target an Alexandria office building, according to the FBI affidavit. The building he targeted contains offices occupied by the U.S. military. El Khalifi told undercover police that he was unsure about carrying out the plan though because the military only occupied part of the building.

El Khalifi also told undercover police that he wanted to target a synagogue or an Army general.

On or about Jan. 8, El Khalifi purchased two jackets and a cell phone "in and around" Alexandria, the FBI affidavit noted. He also purchased nails for a bomb at a hardware store in Alexandria.

The FBI searched a home located at 3800 Wyndham Circle in Alexandria on the day El Khalifi was arrested in Alexandria.