Federal authorities arrested a man from Afghanistan for allegedly planning a terrorist attack on the country timed for Election Day, purportedly under the directives of ISIS, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Tuesday.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested 27-year-old Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, who resides in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and charged him with conspiring and attempting to support ISIS through violent acts scheduled for the upcoming U.S. elections, according to the DOJ. Tawhedi gained entry to the U.S. as a special immigrant in September 2021 amid the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul during the Biden-Harris administration and is now facing 35 years in prison if convicted of all charges, the complaint stated.
The DOJ revealed that Tawhedi took extensive measures to prepare for this assault, including liquidating his family’s assets and arranging their move overseas. The arrest occurred as Tawhedi, along with a juvenile accomplice, allegedly finalized the purchase of two AK-47 rifles, magazines, and substantial ammunition from undercover FBI operatives in a rural location.
“As charged, the Justice Department foiled the defendant’s plot to acquire semi-automatic weapons and commit a violent attack in the name of ISIS on U.S. soil on Election Day,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said. “We will continue to combat the ongoing threat that ISIS and its supporters pose to America’s national security, and we will identify, investigate, and prosecute the individuals who seek to terrorize the American people.”
These developments followed an in-depth investigation that uncovered Tawhedi’s communications with ISIS recruiters and his participation in extremist groups online, the DOJ stated. Further probing into Tawhedi’s activities exposed his involvement in pro-ISIS propaganda and financial contributions to organizations linked to the terrorist group.
The investigation allegedly also found evidence of Tawhedi indoctrinating young children about martyrdom, confirming his deep-rooted ties to extremist ideologies, the DOJ added.
_The DOJ is cracking down on terrorism as it charged six top Hamas leaders in September, including Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh, with terrorism, murder conspiracy and sanctions evasion. These charges are linked to a decades-long campaign of violence and the recent deaths of six hostages, including 23-year-old American-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin. Garland linked these charges to the discovery of the bodies of six hostages, and the charges include murders and kidnappings of numerous innocents, among them American citizens.
Featured Image Credit: The White House
