Extremist tried to blow up energy plant with 'weapon of mass destruction' drone

A 'violent extremist' has pleaded guilty of trying to use a weapon of mass destruction to blow up an energy facility.

Skyler Philippi, 24, of Columbia, Tennessee, planned for months to blow up an energy facility using a drone equipped with high explosives, like a “fourth of July firework,” FBI officials said today. “For months, Philippi planned what he had hoped would be a devastating attack on Nashville’s energy infrastructure,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg explained.

“He acquired what he believed to be explosives, surveilled his target, and equipped a drone to attack an electrical substation. Motivated by a violent ideology, Philippi wanted ‘to do something big.’ Instead, the FBIdisrupted his plans, and Philippi now awaits sentencing,” he added.

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Donald Holstead, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division said Philippi had planned to attack an energy facility with a drone containing explosives. This attack “had the potential to knock out power to thousands of American homes and to critical facilities like hospitals,” Holstead explained.

Philippi, described by FBI officials as a “domestic violent extremist,” planned the attack “in furtherance of his ideological beliefs” Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office said. According to court documents, in June 2024, Philippi told an undercover agent that he wanted to commit a mass shooting at a YMCA facility located in or around Columbia, Tennessee.

In July 2024, Philippi told another undercover about the impact of attacking large interstate substations and said that attacking several substations would “shock the system,” causing other substations to malfunction. After reading up on similar previous attacks, he concluded that attacking with firearms would not be sufficient.

Philippi, therefore, planned to use a drone with explosives attached to it and to fly the drone into the substation, the United States Attorney’s Office said in a statement. Philippi said that his plan was to fly a drone with explosives attached to it into the electric substation and that he preferred to build a drone himself to avoid being detected by law enforcement.

In August 2024 Philippi shared with an undercover source that he had written a manifesto expressing his hatred of jewish people as well as talking about his previous affiliation with far-right hate groups Atomwaffen Division and the National Alliance. In September the wannabe domestic terrorist bought what thought was C-4 and other explosives from undercover agents and scouted a specific electric substation in preparation for his attack.

In texts, Philippi explained that to "do the most damage as an accelerationist" attacks should be carried out in "high economic, high tax, political zones in every major metropolis." Referring to the substation, Philippi said: "Holy s**t. This will go up like the f***in' fourt of July firework."

“On Nov. 2, 2024, Philippi met the undercover employees at a hotel and participated in a Nordic ritual, which included reciting a Nordic prayer and discussing the Norse god Odin,” the the United States Attorney’s Office statement said. “Philippi told the UCEs (undercover employees) that ‘this is where the New Age begins’ and that it was ‘time to do something big’ that would be remembered ‘in the annals of history.’

“Philippi and the UCEs drove to the operation site. The UCEs moved to their assigned positions as lookouts for Philippi. Law-enforcement agents arrested Philippi. When he was taken into custody, Philippi was at the rear of the vehicle, with the drone powered up, and the explosive device was armed and located next to the drone. Philippi was prepared to attach the explosives to the drone when he was arrested."

Philippi pleaded guilty today to attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to destroy an energy facility. He will be sentenced on January 8, 2026 and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 (£184,000)