ORLANDO, Fla. – An American-Israeli teenager was arrested Thursday in connection with a recent string of bomb threats at Jewish centers, including those in Orlando and Maitland and other countries, the FBI said.
The 19-year-old suspect holds dual American-Israeli citizenship, according to an Israeli security official. He was arrested in Israel after an undercover investigation by the FBI.
Yaniv Azani, an official in the Israeli police's cyber unit, said the suspect had used sophisticated means to cover his tracks.
"He used several different means to camouflage the various layers of communication mechanisms he used to carry out these calls," he told reporters.
Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld described the suspect as a hacker, but said his motives were still unclear. Police banned publication of his name, but said that he would remain in custody until at least March 30.
Israeli media said the man had been found unfit for compulsory military service.
The Jewish Academy of Orlando and Chabad of South Orlando were evacuated Jan. 4 after bomb threats were called in to the academy on North Maitland Avenue.
Chabad of South Orlando, also known as the Jewish Center, is located on Sand Lake Road in Orlando.
The Roth Jewish Community Center of Greater Orlando was evacuated a few days later after another bomb threat.
The Orlando JCC was evacuated again on Jan. 18 after receiving another threatening phone call.
The JCC said in a letter to members that the bomb threats and resulting evacuations affected the Jewish community and cost it financially.
More than 100 bomb threats have been made since January in more than 33 states against Jewish community centers and schools.
No explosive devices were found in any of the threats, according to the JCC Association of North America.
“We are troubled to learn that the individual suspected of making these threats against Jewish community centers, which play a central role in the Jewish community, as well as serve as inclusive and welcoming places for all, is reportedly Jewish,” the JCC Association said in a news release.
The organization said that after the series of threats, it changed its security policies and protocols.
“We are confident that JCCs are safer today than ever before,” according to the statement.
The FBI released a statement Thursday about the suspect’s arrest.
“Early this morning in Israel, the FBI and Israeli National Police worked jointly to locate and arrest the individual suspect for threats to Jewish organizations across the U.S. and in other parts of the world,” the statement read.
The Associated Press Contributed to this report.