Paris Police Arrest Two More in Failed Bank of America Bombing Plot

French authorities have taken two additional suspects into custody following a thwarted bombing attempt at a Bank of America branch in Paris. Police intercepted the attack early Saturday when officers spotted individuals trying to ignite an improvised explosive device outside the bank.

French law enforcement officials have taken two additional suspects into custody in connection with a prevented bombing attack targeting Bank of America’s Paris location, according to the nation’s anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office on Sunday.

“Two further individuals were taken into police custody last night as part of the investigation launched on March 28, 2026 into the offences committed against Bank of America,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement to Reuters. Officials also confirmed that the initial suspect, a juvenile apprehended on Saturday, remains in extended custody.

French terrorism laws permit authorities to detain suspects for up to 96 hours, with potential extensions available through court approval.

On Saturday, the anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office initiated an investigation focusing on attempted destruction by fire or other dangerous means, as well as the manufacture, possession and transport of an explosive or incendiary device.

When questioned about potential foreign involvement, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez suggested Iranian connections while emphasizing that no definitive conclusions have been drawn.

“In this type of conflict, you have a number of Iranian services that are likely to carry out actions such as these through proxies… There is a significant suspicion, but it is for the investigation to determine,” he said.

The Iranian embassy in France chose not to respond to Nunez’s statements.

The investigation has been handed over to the Paris police judicial unit and France’s domestic intelligence agency.

According to Nunez, law enforcement officers responded during the early morning hours Saturday in Paris’ 8th arrondissement after a security patrol monitoring sensitive locations observed two people positioning and attempting to detonate a homemade explosive device near the bank.

Security forces intervened and captured one suspect on location while the other escaped, Nunez informed BFM TV late Saturday.

“One individual was trying to light an improvised explosive device made with a container likely containing hydrocarbons and a crude ignition system, while another was filming,” Nunez said.

The minister noted that despite its basic construction, the device posed a deadly threat, and officers successfully prevented its detonation.

Nunez characterized the suspects as “common-law” criminals working as hired intermediaries, describing this as a familiar pattern involving proxy agents recruited for such operations.

He reported that investigators have found connections to similar incidents across multiple European nations, including the Netherlands, Belgium, Britain and Norway, where makeshift devices have targeted locations associated with U.S. interests.