( CNN ) -- A California man was arrested on terror charges early Monday morning near the Canadian border , according to the Department of Justice . In a press release issued Monday , the DOJ said 20-year-old Nicholas Teausant was arrested in Blaine , Washington , and was charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization . According to the release , Teausant traveled to the Canadian border with the intent of continuing on to Syria to join the terrorist organization known as al Qaeda in Iraq . On Teausant 's Facebook page , he goes by a second , Arabic , name , Ased abdur-Raheem . According to the criminal complaint filed by the FBI , Teausant is a student at a community college in Stockton , California , and is a member of the U.S. Army National Guard , though he is in the process of being released by the Guard for not meeting the minimum qualifications . The arrest and charging of Teausant are the result of a joint investigation between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Modesto , California , Police Department , along with the San Joaquin Sheriff 's Office and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection , according to the DOJ . According to the FBI 's affidavit , Teausant used Instagram and other social media sites to connect with Islamic extremists and to express his desire to conduct violent jihad and `` to be a part of America 's 'downfall ' '' In one communication , Teausant detailed his ideas to bomb several public places in the United States , including the day care his infant daughter attends , calling it a `` Zionist reform church . '' Teausant 's communications with extremists and undercover FBI agents continued online and in person for about six months , ending in his arrest on Monday . Teausant was expected to make his first court appearance Monday afternoon in Washington . If convicted , he faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $ 250,000 fine . From CNN 's Chuck Johnston .
20-year-old Nicholas Teausant was arrested near the Canadian border , the DOJ says . Score: 7 Teausant is expected to make his first court appearance Monday afternoon .