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YANCEYVILLE — Somewhere beyond the rows of tobacco and miles of country road that cross Caswell County, federal officials believe at least three terror suspects were preparing to launch attacks overseas.

Federal officials arrested and indicted seven men from eastern North Carolina on Monday, accusing them of military-style training in the United States and plotting terrorist activity abroad. An eighth suspect remains at-large and is believed to be hiding in Pakistan, according to a law enforcement official cited by The Associated Press.

Authorities aren’t saying where in Caswell County the men are accused of training or how they are connected to the area. Nor are they offering much detail about the types of training the group practiced locally.

“At no time were people in Caswell County in any type of danger,” said Amy Thorenson, a spokeswoman for the FBI field office in Charlotte. “We would have stopped any activity that would have put anyone in danger.”

According a federal indictment released Monday, three men with the group — Daniel Patrick Boyd, 39, the group’s leader; his son Zakariya Boyd, 20; and Hysen Sherifi, 24, are accused of practicing military tactics and the use of weapons on private property in Caswell County. Court documents indicate the training occurred June 10 and July 7.

None of the three men, nor four other suspects accused in the plot, own property in Caswell County, according to tax records. Authorities said the arrests of the suspects Monday were in Johnston, Durham and Wake counties. None were in Caswell County, Thorenson said.

The news of the plot sent shock waves across Caswell County on Tuesday as residents wondered why anyone would use their backyard as a terrorist training ground.

“Everybody has been asking everybody else if they know anything,” said Carolyn Chambers, a waitress at Briggs’ Bar-B-Q & Cafe, outside Yanceyville. “It’s been the buzz.”

“We wouldn’t dream of anything like this,” said Sylvia Williamson, a patron at the restaurant.

 “Everybody knows everybody, we are all shocked.”

Other residents said plenty of rural areas throughout the county would make it easy for someone to hide and do as they pleased.

Caswell County Sheriff Michael Welch said his office did play a role in the investigation but remained tight-lipped on details.

“I was aware of the federal investigation and we provided some assistance per the counterterrorism task force,” Welch said.

Welch, who took office in 2002, said much of the crime in the county, which has a population of 23,000, deals with drugs and property crimes. He said  the county busted its first meth lab three weeks ago.

Welch said his 36 deputies train for all situations, including classes with federal officials that deal with counterterrorism.

He referred all other questions to federal officials, who in turn declined to comment on most questions about the Caswell County connection.

Contact Ryan Seals at 373-7077 or ryan.seals@news-record.com