An Afghan national plotting a “violent attack in the name of Isis” on the day of the US presidential election has been arrested by the FBI.
Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, who lives in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, had planned to target crowds of Americans on November 5, the US Justice Department said.
He had arrived in the country on a special migrant visa in 2021, American outlet CBS revealed.
Tawhedi was arrested when FBI agents discovered that he had been stockpiling automatic weapons – and had taken steps to liquidate his family’s assets in advance of his horror plot.
Tawhedi was arrested when FBI agents discovered that he had been stockpiling automatic weapons
FBI
The 27-year-old now stands accused of accessing Isis propaganda – as well as donating to a charity which funnels cash to the infamous terror group.
In planning his violent assault on US citizens heading to the polls, Tawhedi allegedly checked out surveillance cameras and live webcam footage of Washington DC landmarks like the White House and the Washington Monument.
In a further chilling twist, the FBI also believe he had searched for places with looser gun laws to make his planned rampage easier.
Video footage recorded as recently as July 20 appears to show the Afghan migrant reading from a text to two children.
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Images from a Google account allegedly belonging to Tawhedi show a headless Statue of Liberty – and advocate for “endless war”
FBI
The text, according to the Bureau’s video, focuses on the rewards which martyrs supposedly receive in the afterlife.
The FBI had obtained communications between Tawhedi and a person whom he thought was involved in Isis, who facilitated recruitment, training, and indoctrination of potential terrorists.
Tawhedi has been charged with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to Isis.
If convicted, the 27-year-old faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.
He has also been charged with receiving a firearm to be used to commit a felony or a federal crime of terrorism, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years.
Tawhedi had planned to target Americans on the November 5 election day
REUTERS
US Attorney General Merrick Garland said: “The Justice Department foiled the defendant’s plot to acquire semi-automatic weapons and commit a violent attack in the name of Isis on US soil on election day.
“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 terrorise the American people.”
The news comes just a month after an unrelated would-be Isis plotter’s horrific plan to target Jews in New York was foiled by FBI investigators.
Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, also known as Shahzeb Jadoon, had attempted to enter the US to carry out a mass shooting at a Jewish centre in New York City, the US Attorney’s Office said.
US agents and Canadian officials had worked together to arrest Khan in Canada – With Attorney Damian Williams warning how “Khan’s alleged crimes are a vivid reminder that we must remain vigilant in the fight against antisemitism and terror.”