FBI informant helped nab Army veteran accused of bomb plot

The arrest of an Army veteran in a plot to bomb a white supremacist rally in Southern California is the result of a confidential informant's work.

Court documents show that Mark Domingo was nabbed after the informant steered him away from impulsive gun attacks, offered opportunities to drop the plot and eventually led him to a trap.

The identity of the informant isn’t known, but the FBI says the person had been paid over $300,000 since 2013 for other investigations.

Using informants to identify would-be terrorists and thwart their plans has been hailed by law enforcement for preventing mass killings. But defense lawyers and civil liberties groups decry them for enticing vulnerable people down a path toward crime.

Domingo's lawyer declined to comment.