An Afghan national has been arrested in Fort Worth, Texas, after allegedly posting a video on TikTok that appeared to show him building a bomb and threatening an attack in the area, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed. The suspect, Mohammad Dawood Alokozay, is now facing a state charge of making a terroristic threat.
Alokozay came to the United States under President Joe Biden’s “Operation Allies Welcome” program, which resettled Afghan nationals following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. He was admitted to the country as a lawful permanent resident on September 7, 2022.
Authorities say Alokozay was arrested on Tuesday by the Texas Department of Public Safety in coordination with an FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. The arrest occurred just one day before another Afghan national, Rahmanullah Lakanwal—also admitted under the same resettlement program—allegedly shot two National Guardsmen in Washington, D.C., killing one.
In response to Alokozay’s arrest, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a statement on X, saying, “The magnitude of the national security crisis Joe Biden unleashed on our country over the span of four years cannot be overstated. President Trump has directed his entire team to continue rooting out this evil within our borders.”
According to court records, Alokozay is being held at the Tarrant County Corrections Center in Fort Worth. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has filed a detainer, indicating that deportation proceedings may follow the outcome of his criminal case.
The arrest has reignited debate over the Biden administration’s vetting procedures for Afghan refugees, especially as more individuals admitted under Operation Allies Welcome are linked to violent acts on U.S. soil. The State Department has since paused the issuance of Afghan passport visas following the D.C. shooting.
