Four men, including a former member of the U.S. Air Force, have been arrested in southern California and charged with plotting to kill Americans overseas by joining up with al-Qaida to engage in "violent jihad" or Islamic holy war, the FBI said late Monday.

Other charges the men face include plotting to bomb government facilities and conspiracy to kill Americans.

The authorities said Sohiel Omar Kabir, 34, traveled to Afghanistan where he planned to introduce the other suspects to his al-Qaida contacts. Kabir is a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Afghanistan and served in the U.S. Air Force from 2000 to 2001, according to the Associated Press.

Also arrested were Ralph Deleon, 23, of Ontario, Calif.; Miguel Alejandro Santana Vidriales, 21, of Upland; and Arifeen David Gojali, 21, of Riverside.

If convicted, the men face up to 15 years in prison.

The FBI said in its complaint that Kabir introduced Deleon and Santana to radical Islamic teachings in 2010, including those of al-Qaida leader Anwar al-Awlaki, who was killed by a U.S. drone in Yemen in September 2011. The U.S. has said that that al-Awlaki was the inspiration behind a series of attacks and plots against Americans.

In one conversation with an FBI confidential source, Santana and Deleon discussed their preferred roles when it came to carrying out attacks. Santana stated that he had experience with firearms and that he wanted to become a sniper, while Deleon said he wanted to be on the front line but that his second choice was handling explosives.

Both men also indicated they were willing to kill people they perceived to be enemies.

Training at paintball courses
Deleon is a lawful permanent resident alien who was born in the Philippines, and Santana is a lawful permanent resident who was born in Mexico and has applied to become a U.S. citizen, according to the FBI.

In July 2012, Kabir traveled to Afghanistan, where he continued to communicate with Santana and DeLeon and arrange for their travel to join him there, according to the complaint.  Kabir said that he would wait for their arrival before heading to a training location and that they would meet members of the Taliban and al-Qaida when they arrived.

In September 2012, Deleon and Santana recruited Gojali, a U.S. citizen. The three men discussed how to raise funds for a trip to Afghanistan, and how to train and carry out attacks. To prepare for terrorist training overseas, the men started training in southern California at firearms and paintball facilities.

Santana, Deleon and Gojali were arrested on Friday and then handed over to federal authorities  following their hearing in a U.S. district court in Riverside, Calif., on Monday afternoon. Gojali's hearing will be continued on Nov. 26. Kabir is in custody in Afghanistan, the FBI said.

Since the Sept. 11 2001 attacks, the U.S. government has stepped up surveillance efforts to catch both domestic and foreign militants, but has repeatedly warned that such groups continue to pose a threat.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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NEW ORLEANS --  A federal judge is allowing Occupy protesters and homeless people to return to the New Orleans park where they had been camped since early October.

U.S. District Judge Jay Zainey's order Tuesday allows the group, Occupy NOLA, to return for at least seven days.

About 150 officers marched into the encampment across from City Hall before dawn Tuesday. They forced about 150 occupants out and removing tents in a peaceful eviction that sometimes drew loud complaints but did not result in violence.

Their lawyer Bill Quigley said the move was a surprise and that city officials had said they would not evict the occupants until after Tuesday's court hearing.

"You people are treasonous!" one protester shouted as the uniformed officers moved through the makeshift camp grounds at Duncan Plaza, a city block of green space that has been home to the loosely knit Occupy New Orleans movement since Oct. 6.

City officials had accommodated the protesters for weeks, allowing the tents — some nothing more than tarps or sheets of plastic thrown over ropes strung between trees — to stand unmolested and even providing portable toilets. But New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu had warned Friday that it was time for the around-the-clock encampment to end. Police had been distributing flyers warning that the park could no longer be used as a camp ground and, on Tuesday around 4 a.m., began ringing the park with barricades in preparation for the eviction.

"This was a display of a very well organized, well thought out, and now well executed effort," Landrieu said at a Tuesday morning news conference.

Landrieu said police and representatives of the city had gone through the camp several times a day since Friday telling people they must leave and handing out flyers telling them to leave.

There was no immediate reaction Tuesday evening from protesters on the ruling.

Elsewhere across the country Tuesday:

• Dem seeks probe of police at NYC Occupy protests
• 5 Occupy protesters cited in Tennessee
• Occupy protesters at home of Ore. couple facing eviction
• Occupy protesters in Cincinnati court Tuesday
• Marching to foreclosed home, accompanied by cops
• Demonstrators from 46 states 'Take back the Capitol'
• City may issue Occupy Albany permit
• BofA workers told to be careful amid Occupy protests
• Occupy Hartford protesters told to vacate
• Police clear out New Orleans camp
• Housing and Occupy activists take aim at foreclosed homes, empty lots 

For more on Tuesday's Occupy action, click here.

 NEW YORK -- A congressman is calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate allegations of police misconduct in connection with the treatment of Occupy Wall Street protesters and journalists covering the demonstrations in New York City.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler says in a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder there were "troubling reports" of possible misconduct by police.

He says there were reports of "possible unlawful surveillance" of protesters' constitutionally protected activities and excessive use of force by New York Police Department officers. He says he was "especially troubled" the NYPD "aggressively blocked journalists" from reporting the Nov. 15 eviction of protesters from a Manhattan park they were occupying.

The Department of Justice said Tuesday it will review the congressman's letter.

Police haven't responded to a request for comment.

Elsewhere across the country Tuesday:

• 5 Occupy protesters cited in Tennessee
• Occupy protesters at home of Ore. couple facing eviction
• Occupy protesters in Cincinnati court Tuesday
• Marching to foreclosed home, accompanied by cops
• Demonstrators from 46 states 'Take back the Capitol'
• City may issue Occupy Albany permit
• BofA workers told to be careful amid Occupy protests
• Occupy Hartford protesters told to vacate
• Police clear out New Orleans camp
• Housing and Occupy activists take aim at foreclosed homes, empty lots 

For more on Tuesday's Occupy action, click here.