The Justice Department arrested a man from Afghanistan for conspiring to conduct an Election Day attack.
Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi “conspired and attempted to provide material support to ISIS and obtained firearms and ammunition to conduct a violent attack on U.S. soil in the name of ISIS,” a press release reads. “As part of the plot, the defendant allegedly took steps to liquidate his family’s assets, resettle members of his family overseas, acquire AK-47 assault rifles and ammunition, and commit a terrorist attack in the United States.”
According to the criminal complaint, the FBI obtained communications between Tawhedi and a person who “facilitated recruitment, training, and indoctrination of persons who expressed interest in terrorist activity and who Tawhedi understood to be affiliated with ISIS,” the release says.
Tawhedi also “allegedly accessed, viewed, and saved ISIS propaganda on his iCloud and Google account, participated in pro-ISIS Telegram groups, and contributed to a charity which fronts for and funnels money to ISIS.”
The FBI learned of the plan through the work of a confidencial human sources. Tawhedi and his co-conspirator, a juvenile, were liquidating their family’s assets prior to the attack. The confidential human source was then directed by the FBI to inquire if a computer was for sale.
“The FBI source noted that he needed the computer for a new gun business he was starting, which ultimately led Tawhedi and the juvenile to meet with the source and other FBI assets at a rural location to test firearms,” the DOJ’s press release explains. “Tawhedi expressed interest in purchasing two AK-47 assault rifles, magazines, and ammunition from the source.”
Upon purchasing the materials, the FBI arrested Tawhedi and the juvenile.
Communications seized by the FBI indicated that his attack was planned for Election Day. This was confirmed in a post-arrest interview, where Tawhedi allegedly suggested that the attack would have targeted “large gatherings of people, during which he and the juvenile were expected to die as martyrs.”
Republican leaders condemned the presence of the Afghan national in the United States.
House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN) and Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence Chairman August Pfluger (R-TX) released a joint statement on the matter.
“When tens of thousands of insufficiently vetted individuals are let into the interior, this is the inevitable result,” they wrote. “This Committee has repeatedly warned of the terror threats stemming from the Biden-Harris administration’s failed leadership and disastrous border security policies.”
“Unfortunately, our calls for transparency regarding the inadequate vetting and screening following the catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan continue to go unanswered—and, here, Americans almost paid the price,” they continued. “We appreciate the efforts of law enforcement in thwarting this alleged terror plot on Election Day, but President Biden and Vice President Harris must reverse course on their misguided policies and put the safety and security of the American people first.”
