Foiled Violent Plot in Haute-Saône: 17-Year-Old Indicted and Placed in Custody

A violent action plot was foiled this week in Vesoul, Haute-Saône. A 17-year-old teenager was arrested on Monday, March 10, 2025, after being spotted in front of a school carrying a large knife. Known to intelligence services for radicalization between 2022 and 2024, the young man had recently resurfaced on the DGSI’s radar due to encrypted messaging conversations where he hinted at his intention to act. He also claimed allegiance to the Islamic State organization.

Swift Arrest and DGSI Investigation

The suspect was arrested on site by the gendarmerie, and the investigation, initially opened by the Vesoul prosecutor’s office, was taken over by the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (Pnat) the following day. Placed in police custody, he was brought before an anti-terrorism judge on Thursday, March 13. He was indicted for “participation in a terrorist criminal association with a view to preparing one or more crimes against persons” and placed in pre-trial detention that evening.

Interrupted Surveillance and a Troubling Reappearance

Although his monitoring for radicalization had been lifted in early 2024, the DGSI resumed tracking him in early March 2025, alerted by suspicious exchanges on secure platforms. These elements, combined with his armed presence outside a school, accelerated his arrest.

The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office stated that ongoing investigations under a judicial inquiry would help clarify the exact targets and assess the immediacy of the planned attack.

This is the first foiled violent plot of 2025 — a case highlighting a worrying trend: since 2023, 70% of individuals arrested for terrorism by the DGSI have been under the age of 21.