An Afghan national living in Oklahoma was charged this week with conspiring to carry out a terrorist attack on Election Day on behalf of the Islamic State terrorist group, according to court documents unsealed Tuesday.
Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, was arrested on Monday in connection with a conspiracy and attempt to provide material support to ISIS and obtain firearms and ammunition to carry out a violent attack in the United States on behalf of the terrorist group . Tawhedi made his initial appearance Tuesday in federal court in Oklahoma City before U.S. Magistrate Judge Suzanne Mitchell.
The attorney listed for Tawhedi did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday night.
According to court documents, Tawhedi indicated in the seized communications that he planned his attack for election day, November 5. Authorities said that in an interview after his arrest, he confirmed that the attack was intended to target large gatherings and that he was expected to die a martyr along with a juvenile co-conspirator, described as a citizen Afghan with legal permanent resident status.
The pair were arrested after meeting with two confidential human sources and an undercover FBI agent, posing as business partners, in a rural location in the Western District of Oklahoma to buy the guns, 10 magazines and ammunition for the planned attack.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement Tuesday that the Justice Department continues to “combat the ongoing threat that ISIS and its supporters pose to America’s national security, and we will identify, investigate and prosecute individuals who seek to terrorize the American people.”
A review of Google records showed that Tawhedi viewed and saved ISIS propaganda, according to court documents. The records also showed that in July he searched for “How to access the cameras of Washington DC” and “Which US passed the gun law without a permit?” they said
In late August, Tawhedi and his co-conspirator attempted to liquidate the family’s assets, including the property in Moore, Oklahoma, which is under contract and pending sale, the family’s two cars, electronics and other goods, court documents allege. Tawhedi also made efforts to return family members to Afghanistan, and obtain AK-47 assault rifles and ammunition, according to court documents.
Tawhedi’s arrest comes amid growing concern over the potential for political violence around next month’s election.
President Joe Biden told reporters last week that he was confident the election “will be free and fair,” but he was less sure “whether it will be peaceful.”
Both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have condemned political violence following two assassination attempts against former President Donald Trump, who has hinted at the potential for violence if he loses in November.
Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt cited Tawhedi’s arrest in attacking the Biden administration on immigration, arguing in a statement that Harris had “rolled out the red carpet for terrorists like Nasir Ahmad Tawheed”.
Harris’ campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday night.
According to court documents, Tawhedi entered the country on a special immigrant visa in September 2021, a month after the United States withdrew from Afghanistan.
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt said in a statement Tuesday that the foiled plot “is a powerful example of how the information sharing measures we have implemented between local law enforcement agencies , state and federal make a real difference.”
“Those who seek to harm our nation, threaten our freedoms, and disrupt our way of life will be held accountable and face the full force of the law,” the Republican governor said.
The United States continues to combat the threat posed by ISIS at home and abroad.
In June, eight men from Tajikistan who had been on the radar of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force with potential ties to ISIS were arrested in New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles.
Defense officials said in August that the United States conducted a military operation in Iraq that killed at least 15 fighters of the Islamic State militant group, including members of the leadership.
A month earlier, the US Central Command said ia statementthat during the first half of the year, ISIS claimed responsibility for 153 attacks in Iraq and Syria and that the terrorist group was on track to “more than double the total number of attacks claimed” in 2023.
