FBI searches Mass., NY, NJ locations in connection with Times Square plot

Northeast locations searched in Times Square probe

WATERTOWN, Mass. — FBI agents have searched several locations in the Northeast in connection with the failed Times Square car bomb. Two people have been arrested on immigration violations.

Agents raided home in Watertown, Mass., and a gas station in nearby Brookline.

Special Agent J.J. Klaver of the FBI in Philadelphia says agents are at locations in Camden, N.J., and Cherry Hill, N.J., following up on leads that he declined to specify.

Raids also were conducted Thursday on New York’s Long Island. A law enforcement official tells The Associated Press the search warrants were executed at homes in the towns of Centerreach and Shirley and that no one has been arrested in New York in connection with the bomb plot. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing.

Associated Press writers Denise Lavoie in Boston and Tom Hays in New York contributed to this report.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

WATERTOWN, Mass. (AP) — A law enforcement official familiar with the investigation into the failed Times Square car bomb says two men taken into custody from a house in Massachusetts are from Pakistan.

The official says one of the men was taken into custody because he had overstayed his visa. The government had already begun proceedings to remove the other man from the country and he had been awaiting a ruling from an immigration court. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, is not authorized to release details on the case and did not know whether authorities are considering criminal charges against the men.

Authorities and witnesses say federal agents conducted Thursday raids in Boston suburbs and on New York’s Long Island. The FBI says the searches are the product of evidence gathered in the investigation into the bombing attempt two weeks ago.

Associated Press writer Denise Lavoie in Boston contributed to this report.