I think you might be right about the distraction, how long have they been investigation this, for a year and a half?
THey just now took them into custody because they were planning to travel abroad. Hence, the presser to announce their arrests and the busting up of their plot. Before they planned to leave the country for awhile, investigators were letting the plot play out as much as possible to get all the info and intel they possibly could from it. But were afraid of losing track of them abroad. I haven’t heard which countries they were going to, maybe it was said but I haven’t heard it.