Suspect in terrorism probe arrested in Colorado

The arrest apparently came after talks between Zazi and federal authorities,which had stretched over three days,apparently broke down on Saturday and the suspect declined a fourth meeting,choosing to consult with his lawyers instead.

Both men were shown on local TV being led away from the apartment complex in handcuffs.

Aiello said they were taken to a county jail facility in Denver for booking but would likely be transferred to federal custody.

An FBI spokesman in Washington declined to confirm the arrests or say what the father and son would be charged with,but The New York Times reported that they would be accused of making false statements.

In a telephone interview with the Denver Post newspaper on Saturday morning,Zazi said that contrary to media reports he had not admitted any link to al Qaeda or participating in training with the group in Pakistan.

“It’s not true,” Zazi told the newspaper. “I have nothing to hide. It’s all media publications reporting whatever they want. They have been reporting all this nonsense.”

FBI Director Robert Mueller has reassured lawmakers in Washington that there is no imminent security threat related to the investigation surrounding Zazi,but has declined to elaborate publicly on the probe.

FBI agents entered Zazi’s residence on Wednesday afternoon with a search warrant and the entire three-story apartment building was roped off with yellow crime-scene tape.

Authorities put black screens over the building’s windows to prevent onlookers from seeing inside,and a house a few miles away was likewise cordoned off.

Before the Denver-area raids began,three local public schools were locked down as a precaution,with students kept inside until they were picked up by their parents.

The questioning of Zazi came days after he traveled to New York City.

He was stopped by authorities on September 10 while driving a rental car on the George Washington Bridge,which connects New York City with New Jersey,but Zazi later returned to Colorado by airplane,his lawyer said.

Early on Monday,a joint anti-terrorism task force carried out a series of raids in an area of the Queens borough of New York where he had visited over the weekend.

Authorities revealed few details of those raids. Local media has reported that investigators sought evidence of explosives or bomb-making materials. Local officials said agents detained four members of one family,but how long they were held and their connection to the probe was not clear.

The raids rattled some residents as they came days after the anniversary of the September 11,2001 attacks.

The FBI and the US Department of Homeland Security later issued an advisory to police agencies on how to track evidence of bomb-making,including looking for burn marks typically found on suspects involved in producing a particular kind of explosive device.

Zazi’s father,Mohammed,a native of Afghanistan,has told the Denver Post he moved to New York in 1989,and later brought his family over with him,including his Afghan-born son. The family subsequently moved to the Denver area.