NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Justice Department said Monday that federal agents arrested a Tennessee man with ties to white nationalist groups who they say tried to use what he believed was an explosives-laden drone to destroy a facility. Nashville Energy. .

According to court documents, Skyler Philippi, 24, is accused of planning to place several pounds of C-4 explosives on an aerial drone with the intention of destroying an electrical substation in Nashville.

Newly unsealed court records reveal that Philippi allegedly told a confidential source working with the FBI in July that he wanted to attack several substations to “shock the system.” That confidential source later introduced Philippi to an undercover FBI employee, who began gathering information about Philippi’s plan with other undercover agents.

“Philippi investigated previous attacks on electrical substations and concluded that attacking with firearms would not be sufficient,” FBI special agent Angelo DeFeo wrote in court records released Monday. “Philippi therefore planned to use a drone with explosives attached and fly the drone to the substation.”

Philippi allegedly told undercover law enforcement agents that he was affiliated with several white nationalist and extremist groups, including the National Alliance, which calls for the eradication of the Jewish people and other races. These extremist groups have increasingly seen Attack the United States electrical grid. as a means to disrupt the country.

The U.S. grid includes more than 6,400 power plants and 450,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines crisscrossing the country.

In September, Philippi provided undercover officials with excerpts from his so-called manifesto, which focused largely on the preservation of the white race.

On Saturday, Philippi and undercover employees headed to the planned launch site in Nashville and prepared to fly a drone that authorities said Philippi believed had three pounds of C-4 attached to it. The material had been provided by undercover employees, according to court documents.

Police officers arrested Philippi shortly after arriving at the scene.

“According to the charges, Skyler Philippi believed he was about to launch an attack on a Nashville energy facility to promote his violent white supremacist ideology, but the FBI had already compromised his plot,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement. release.

A federal public defender was appointed to represent Philippi and a request for comment was sent to the attorney on Monday. Philippi is expected to appear in court on November 13.