FBI thwarts Election Day terror attack plot in name of ISIS

The FBI has arrested an Afghan nationalist who was plotting an Election Day violent onslaught successful the sanction of ISIS, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.

Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, of Oklahoma City, allegedly conspired to transportation retired a convulsive onslaught connected ample crowds adjacent month, officials said. No accusation connected nonstop locations oregon targets was released.

Tawhedi was arrested Monday, aft which helium allegedly confirmed to investigators the onslaught was planned for Election Day and that helium and a juvenile co-conspirator expected to dice arsenic martyrs.

Tawhedi, who entered the U.S. successful 2021 connected a peculiar migrant visa, had precocious bought one-way tickets for his woman and kid to alert backmost to Afghanistan and had been liquidating his family’s assets. He had besides been communicating with ISIS fighters successful chat apps and contributing to a fake foundation that funnels wealth to the violent organization.

A Facebook station with assorted idiosyncratic belongings for merchantability led to FBI scrutiny. On Monday, Tawhedi and the juvenile met with undercover agents successful a agrarian determination successful Oklahoma to acquisition weapons. After taking receipt of 2 AK-47 battle rifles, 10 magazines and 500 rounds of ammunition, the 2 were taken into custody.

“Their eventual purpose was to signifier a convulsive onslaught successful the United States successful the sanction of and connected behalf of ISIS,” prosecutors wrote.

Tawhedi was charged with conspiring and attempting to supply worldly enactment to ISIS, which carries a maximum condemnation of 20 years successful prison. He was besides charged with receiving a firearm to beryllium utilized to perpetrate a felony oregon a national transgression of terrorism, which carries a maximum situation condemnation of 15 years, if convicted.

No accusation astir his co-conspirator was released.

“As charged, the Justice Department foiled the defendant’s crippled to get semi-automatic weapons and perpetrate a convulsive onslaught successful the sanction of ISIS connected U.S. ungraded connected Election Day,” said U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland.

“I americium arrogant of the men and women of the FBI who uncovered and stopped the crippled earlier anyone was harmed,” added FBI manager Christopher Wray. “Terrorism is inactive the FBI’s fig 1 priority, and we volition usage each assets to support the American people.”