New York ( CNN ) -- Federal authorities running a sting operation arrested a 21-year-old Bangladeshi man , who came to the U.S. on a student visa and was allegedly planning to blow up the Federal Reserve Bank of New York with what he believed was a 1,000-pound bomb , officials said . Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis was detained Wednesday after an alleged attempt to detonate the device , which was inert and part of an elaborate investigation by federal authorities and NYPD detectives . Prosecutors say Nafis was apparently motivated by al Qaeda and traveled to the United States in January under the pretext of attending college in Missouri in order carry out `` a terrorist attack on U.S. soil '' and to recruit members to form a terrorist cell . Accused 9/11 mastermind says U.S. tortured in name of national security . It 's not clear whether Nafis maintained al Qaeda ties , but authorities say he apparently claimed that the plot was his own , and that it was his sole motivation for the U.S. trip . One of the people Nafis apparently contacted was an FBI source to whom he proposed multiple targets , including a high-ranking U.S. official as well as the New York Stock Exchange , authorities said . At one point , the suspect contemplated President Barack Obama as a target , but that idea never progressed , a U.S. official with knowledge of the investigation said . While the details surrounding the suspected plot remain murky , prosecutors say Nafis indicated that he wanted to `` destroy America '' by going after the nation 's financial institutions and ultimately settled on the landmark bank . The undercover agent , authorities say , also provided 20 bags of 50 pounds each of purported explosives to Nafis , who then stored the material in a warehouse in preparation for the strike . They say Nafis further divulged a `` Plan B '' that involved carrying out a suicide attack should police thwart his initial effort . Packing his van with what he apparently believed were explosives , Nafis then allegedly traveled with the undercover agent to Manhattan 's financial district , attached a detonator to the material and recorded a video statement in a nearby hotel . `` We will not stop until we attain victory or martyrdom , '' he allegedly said , covering his face , donning sunglasses and disguising his voice . While en route to his target , authorities say , Nafis detailed how his jihadist views were -- at least in part -- formed by watching video sermons by American-born al Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki , who was killed last year by a U.S. drone strike in Yemen . With his van parked next to the Federal Reserve , Nafis allegedly attempted to detonate the inert device by using his cell phone . The effort failed , and he was arrested soon after , authorities said . Much of the sting operation was also captured on video , according to a source with knowledge of the investigation . Nafis faces charges of `` attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to provide material support to al Qaeda . '' His arrest came as a result of the `` culmination of an undercover operation '' after he was being monitored by NYPD detectives and the FBI New York Field Office 's Joint Terrorism Task Force , the statement said . The Federal Reserve declined to comment , while Police Commissioner Ray Kelly reminded New Yorkers to remain vigilant against potential threats . `` Al Qaeda operatives and those they have inspired have tried time and again to make New York City their killing field , '' he said in a prepared statement . `` We are up to 15 plots and counting since 9/11 , with the Federal Reserve now added to a list of iconic targets that previously included the Brooklyn Bridge , the New York Stock Exchange and Citicorp Center . '' He added that `` after 11 years without a successful attack , it 's understandable if the public becomes complacent . '' `` But that 's a luxury law enforcement ca n't afford , '' he said . Jay Carney , White House press secretary , told CNN that President Barack Obama has been briefed on the threat . Meanwhile , Nafis made an initial court appearance Wednesday at a federal courthouse in Brooklyn . His attorney , a public defender , declined to comment . Nafis was a student majoring in cybersecurity at Southeast Missouri State University from January to May of this year , said Ann Hayes , a spokeswoman for the university . Taking tea with a terrorist . Man gets 30 years in U.S. Capitol bomb plot . Saudi student convicted in Texas bomb plot . CNN 's Carol Cratty and Raelyn Johnson contributed to this report .
The suspect majored in cybersecurity at a college in Missouri . Jay Carney , White House press secretary , says President Barack Obama has been briefed . Bangladeshi national made initial court appearance Wednesday at federal courthouse in Brooklyn . His attorney , a public defender , declined to comment .