The suspects, including a pizza delivery man who allegedly used his job to case the army base, were arrested on Monday night as they tried to buy automatic rifles. They were due to appear Tuesday in a New Jersey court after a 16-month sting operation.

Two undercover FBI informers had infiltrated the group and recorded their conversations about launching an attack on Fort Dix army base, federal prosecutors said.

The alleged plot was foiled after a shop clerk alerted police to a "disturbing" video that the suspects had made of themselves and asked to be burned to a DVD.