Underwear bomber pleads guilty
This undated handout image provided by the U.S. Marshals Service on December 28, 2009 shows Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. Abdulmutallab, 24, is a Nigerian man suspected of attempting to blow up Northwest 253 flight as it was landing in Detroit on Christmas day.
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian man with the unfortunate nickname, "the underwear bomber," pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges including conspiracy to commit terrorism and attempted murder.
The Associated Press reports that Abdulmutallab entered his plea after the charges and possible penalties were reviewed for him.
The guilty plea surprised the federal court in Detroit, CBS News reports.
He is on trial after being charged with trying to blow up a plane, Northwest Airlines Flight 25, heading to Detroit on Christmas Day 2009 using a bomb hidden in his underwear.
The plea came on the second day of the trial.
Abdulmutallab has been officially representing himself throughout the case, but counsel Anthony Chambers has been on stand-by and made opening remarks to the jury on his behalf, CBS News reported.
"He's driving the bus. He's making the ultimate decisions on everything," Chambers reportedly said. "His self-representation certainly makes it more difficult strategically. But we're doing the best we can with what we have to work with."
More from GlobalPost: Underwear bomber's trial set to begin