Three Florida men charged with attempting to support Islamic State

New York: Three Florida men were charged on Friday with attempting to support Islamic State, the latest in a string of similar US prosecutions in recent years.

US prosecutors said Gregory Hubbard, 52, was arrested on Thursday at Miami International Airport, where he planned to fly to Germany on his way to Syria to join the militant group`s fighting force.

Darren Jackson, 50, and Dayne Christian, 31, provided Hubbard with weapons and firearms instruction and had themselves expressed a desire to join Islamic State, US prosecutors said in a statement.

Since 2014, the Justice Department has brought Islamic State-related charges against more than 90 individuals, many of whom allegedly intended to travel to Syria to fight for the group.

The Florida men repeatedly expressed support for Islamic State and for attacks carried out in its name, including the mass shootings in San Bernardino, California, and Orlando, US according to a criminal complaint filed on Friday.

Earlier this week, Hubbard and Jackson told a confidential informant that they approved of the fatal shooting of police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, according to the criminal complaint.

The men are due in federal court in Miami on Wednesday. All three face one count of conspiring and attempting to provide material support to Islamic State, while Jackson was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.