Temple Emanuel in Pueblo, CO
Denver, CO, November 4, 2019 … ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) commended law enforcement for taking swift action in arresting a 27-year-old man for allegedly plotting to bomb a Pueblo, CO, synagogue and spreading white supremacist views that encouraged acts of violence against Jews and Latinxs.
According to the federal affidavit, Richard Holzer allegedly met undercover agents Friday at a motel, and planned to ignite explosives at the synagogue early Saturday morning. The undercover agents brought two pipe bombs and sticks of dynamite, all of which were inert, that Holzer intended to use in his attack on the synagogue. He called the plan his “mountain” and referred to Jews and the synagogue as a “cancer.”
ADL’s Center on Extremism has tracked the online rhetoric of Holzer since May 2016 and has repeatedly shared information with law enforcement, citing concerns he might be a danger to public safety.
“White supremacists continue to pose a serious threat to Jews and other communities in the United States and in our own backyard as this arrest indicates,” said ADL Mountain States Regional Director Scott Levin. “We commend law enforcement for acting quickly to prevent this individual from engaging in life-threatening violence. No one should have to live in fear of white supremacy, simply because of who they are or where they pray.”
This marks the 13th time since the deadly rampage at the Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue that a white supremacist has been arrested for allegedly plotting attacks or making threats against the Jewish community, according to a recent ADL report.
ADL is the world’s leading anti-hate organization. Founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of anti-Semitism and bigotry, its timeless mission is to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all. Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of hate with the same vigor and passion. A global leader in exposing extremism, delivering anti-bias education, and fighting hate online, ADL is the first call when acts of anti-Semitism occur. ADL’s ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination or hate. ADL’s Mountain States Region covers Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming. More at https://mountainstates.adl.org/.