PARIS – French authorities have placed one adult and three minors in pre-trial custody following their arrests in connection with a thwarted bombing attempt targeting Bank of America’s Paris headquarters last month, officials announced.
According to anti-terrorism prosecutors, the explosive device discovered was the most potent ever found on French soil and “could have generated … a powerful fireball several metres in diameter and spread a fire,” prosecutors stated Wednesday evening.
The suspects – one adult and three teenagers ages 16 and 17 – face formal charges including creating, transporting and handling explosive materials, along with attempting to destroy property while operating as part of a terrorist organization, prosecutors said.
All four individuals have denied any terrorist motivations, according to the official statement. The adult suspect claimed he was approached through social media by someone claiming to be a middleman who then provided him with the explosive device.
The teenage suspects admitted they understood their target was not a residential structure, authorities noted. Legal representatives for the suspects have not yet issued public statements.
Under French law, formal investigation status does not indicate guilt but signals that judges believe sufficient evidence exists to continue the inquiry. Such investigations may continue for years before proceeding to trial or being dismissed.
French officials believe the pro-Iranian organization HAYI may have orchestrated the failed March 28 attack, though this connection has not been definitively proven, prosecutors revealed earlier this week.
HAYI had published a social media video on March 23 that specifically identified Bank of America’s Paris headquarters as a target.
Through surveillance video analysis, cellular phone records and police questioning, investigators determined the adult suspect had enlisted the three teenagers during the nights of March 26-27, compensating them between 500 and 1,000 euros ($580-$1,160) to position the device, ignite it and record the incident, the prosecutor’s office reported.
The three minors had clean criminal records while the adult had a prior drug-related conviction in 2025, according to authorities. A fifth individual was taken into custody and questioned by police but was subsequently released due to insufficient evidence.
