An Afghanistan citizen residing in Oklahoma City has been charged with planning a terrorist attack on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham. The suspect is named Nasir Ahmad Tawhidi, 27, and was planning to conduct the attack on Election Day, according to a criminal complaint.
In an elaborate modus operandi, the suspect had initiated steps to liquidate his family’s assets, obtain lethal weapons to commit a terror attack on the soil of the United States, and resettle members of his family in the states.
The suspect’s accomplice was a juvenile who advertised the family’s personal property for sale on Facebook. The FBI, upon detecting the advertisement, placed a source who inquired if a computer was still for sale. The FBI then stated that he needed the computer to start a new gun business. The plot succeeded, and the suspect Tawhidi and the juvenile went to meet the source and other FBI assets at a rural location to test firearms, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The suspect also showed his interest in buying assault rifles, magazines, and ammunition from the source.
Finally, the suspect Tawhidi and the juvenile met the FBI assets at a rural location in Oklahoma on Oct. 7 and bought two AK-47 assault rifles, 10 magazines, and 500 rounds of ammunition. Subsequently, security services swooped in on them and arrested them.
After his arrest, the FBI searched Tawhidi’s phone and discovered communications between the man and a person who helped with the recruitment, training, and indoctrination of persons interested in committing terror acts. Tawhidi is understood to be affiliated with ISIS.
Tawhidi said in translated messages from September:
“Brother, our house was sold today. We’ll receive the money by the 15th of October, next month. After that, we will begin our duty, God willing, with the help of God, we will get ready for the Election Day. Brother, what plan does our family have? If it is not a problem, please introduce us to someone who is online, so we could discuss all of the matters with them. May God reward you, brother.”
Tawhidi has been charged with accessing, viewing, and saving ISIS propaganda on his iCloud and Google accounts. He is also indicted for taking part in pro-ISIS groups and contributing to a group that funnels money to the terrorist organization.
The communications which were discovered by FBI agents revealed that Tawhidi was planning an attack on Election Day, and this was confirmed by him in his post-arrest interview, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Tawhidi wanted to target large gatherings, and he and the juvenile were expected to die as martyrs.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in a statement said,
“As charged, the Justice Department foiled the defendant’s plot to acquire semi-automatic weapons and commit a violent attack in the name of ISIS on U.S. 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 terrorize the American people. I am deeply grateful to the public servants of the FBI, National Security Division, and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma for their work to disrupt this attack and for the work they do every day to protect our country.”
In a video seized by FBI agents, Tawhidi was seen reading to two children about the rewards a martyr receives in the afterlife.
If convicted, Tawhidi could face a prison sentence of 20 years for providing material support to ISIS and 15 years for committing a felony or a federal crime of terrorism. The FBI Oklahoma City Field Office and the Oklahoma City and Moore police departments are investigating the case.
U.S. Sen. James Lankford posted on X:
“The charges brought against Nasir Ahmad Tawhidi in Oklahoma for plotting an Election Day terrorist attack on US soil is a stark reminder that our nation continues to face threats from those who hate our freedom and want to do us harm. I’m grateful to the FBI, especially the Oklahoma FBI Field Office, and our local law enforcement agencies for their vigilance and dedication to protect our communities. Their swift action prevented what could have been a devastating attack.”
