Miami ? Seven men accused of trying to blow up the Sears Tower with help from al-Qaida never actually made contact with the terrorist network and were instead caught in an FBI sting involving an informant who posed as an al-Qaida operative, authorities said Friday.

Federal prosecutors said the men – who operated out of a warehouse in Miami’s blighted Liberty City section – took an oath to al-Qaida and plotted to create an “Islamic Army” bent on violence against the United States. Five of those arrested are U.S. citizens.

Atty. Gen. Alberto Gonzales stressed that there was no immediate threat in either Chicago or Miami because the group did not have explosives or other materials it was seeking.

“This group was more aspirational than operational,” FBI Deputy Director John Pistole said.

Those arrested ranged in age from 22 to 32 and included a legal immigrant from Haiti and a Haitian who was in this country illegally. Investigators said all members of the alleged plot were in custody on conspiracy charges.

“We are confident that we have identified every individual who had the intent of posing a threat to the United States,” said R. Alexander Acosta, U.S. attorney in Miami.

A federal indictment unsealed Friday said seven Florida men were attempting to establish an al-Qaida terrorist cell and harbored dreams of forming an Islamic

Five of the defendants, including alleged ringleader Narseal Batiste, appeared in federal court Friday in Miami under heavy security. They were brought in and out in single file, chained together at the wrists and wearing ankle chains.

Prosecutors said Batiste began recruiting and training the others in November. The FBI learned of the plot from someone the defendants tried to recruit, authorities said. The FBI then arranged for an informant to pass himself off as an al-Qaida operative.

Batiste met several times in December with the informant and asked for boots, uniforms, machine guns, radios, vehicles and $50,000 to help him build an “Islamic Army,” the indictment said.

In February, Batiste told the informant that he and his five soldiers wanted to attend al-Qaida training and planned a “full ground war” against the United States in order to “kill all the devils we can,” according to the indictment. His mission would “be just as good or greater than 9-11,” it said.

Prosecutors said the men plotted to blow up Chicago’s Sears Tower, the tallest building in America, and other buildings such as the FBI offices in North Miami Beach. They were charged with conspiracy to destroy the structures and to wage war against the U.S. government.

In addition to Batiste and Phanor, the defendants were identified as Patrick Abraham, or “Brother Pat”; Naudimar Herrera or “Brother Naudy”; Lyglenson Lemorin, also known as “Brother Levi” or “Brother Levi-El”; Burson Augustin, also known as “Brother B”; and Rotschild Augustine, or “Brother Rot.”