SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has foiled a terrorist attack attempt to blow up Pier 39, a shopping center here on the west coast, local media reported Friday.

Everitt Aaron Jameson, a former U.S. Marine, was arrested Friday and charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

The 26-year-old suspect was accused of plotting to detonate explosives and shoot at a massive group of people in the Pier 39 area on Christmas Day.

A criminal complaint filed by the court said Jameson was identified as an ISIS supporter in September based on his social media activity, which attracted the attention of FBI agents.

Jameson was alleged to carry out his plan for the San Francisco attack, under which he would set off pipe bombs at the pier to "funnel" fleeing people into an area where he would be waiting to shoot them with an assault rifle, the criminal complaint said.

He reportedly expressed his willingness to sacrifice his life for the cause on Christmas Day, which he described as "the perfect day" for an attack.

Jameson's plot was thwarted when he was contacted by undercover FBI agents, who disguised themselves as terrorist sympathizers and interacted with him routinely on social media.

The former Marine-trained sharpshooter met with FBI undercover agents on Dec. 16, believing that he was making contact with high-level ISIS leadership, the FBI said.

Local media quoted Jameson's father as saying that his son, who was raised as a Christian, converted to Islam in the wake of a divorce and the loss of custody of his two young children.

In response to the FBI's success in foiling the planned terror attack, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions spoke highly of the FBI agents.

"Today, our incredible law enforcement officers have once again helped thwart an alleged plot to kill Americans," he said in a statement.