Current:Home > BackPakistani man with ties to Iran is charged in plot to carry out political assassinations on US soil-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Pakistani man with ties to Iran is charged in plot to carry out political assassinations on US soil
View Date:2024-12-23 21:11:37
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Pakistani man alleged to have ties to Iran has been charged in a plot to carry out political assassinations on U.S. soil, the Justice Department said Tuesday in disclosing what officials say is the latest murder-for-hire plot to target American public figures.
Asif Merchant traveled to New York in April for the purpose of hiring hitmen, even paying a $5,000 advance to two would-be assassins who were actually undercover law enforcement officers. He was arrested last month before he could leave the U.S. and the plot was foiled by the FBI.
Court documents do not identify any of the potential targets, but the case was unsealed just weeks after U.S. officials disclosed that a threat on Donald Trump’s life from Iran prompted additional security in the days before a Pennsylvania rally last month in which Trump was injured by a gunman’s bullet.
That shooting, carried out by a 20-year-old Pennsylvania man, was unrelated to the Iran threat and the case also has no connection to the Trump assassination attempt. Merchant was arrested on July 12, one day before the rally where Trump was shot, and the instructions prosecutors say he gave to the men he thought he was hiring were for killings to take place in August or September — after he had left the country.
Federal officials identified Merchant as a Pakistani citizen who has said he has a wife and children in Iran. He traveled frequently to Iran, Syria and Iraq, the Justice Department said.
U.S. officials have warned for years about Iran’s desire to avenge the 2020 killing of Qassem Soleimani, who led the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force. That strike was ordered by Trump.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement: “The Justice Department will spare no resource to disrupt and hold accountable those who would seek to carry out Iran’s lethal plotting against American citizens and will not tolerate attempts by an authoritarian regime to target American public officials and endanger America’s national security.”
veryGood! (274)
Related
- How Jersey Shore's Sammi Sweetheart Giancola's Fiancé Justin May Supports Her on IVF Journey
- Hurry! Only six weeks left to consolidate student loan debt for a shot at forgiveness
- 'Real Housewives of Potomac' star Karen Huger involved in car crash after allegedly speeding
- Execution in Georgia: Man to be put to death for 1993 murder of former girlfriend
- Drone footage captures scope of damage, destruction from deadly Louisville explosion
- A Georgia prison warden was stabbed by an inmate, authorities say
- As Texas border arrests law teeters in court, other GOP states also push tougher immigration policy
- 'Chester' gets limo ride out of animal shelter after nearly 600 days waiting for adoption
- Powerball winning numbers for Nov. 13 drawing: Jackpot rises to $113 million
- Judge dismisses sexual assault suit brought by Chicago police officer against superintendent
Ranking
- The Daily Money: Inflation is still a thing
- Alabama governor signs anti-diversity, equity and inclusion bill
- The Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady. Here's the impact on your money.
- Aaron Taylor-Johnson Reacts to Public Criticism Over His Marriage to Sam Taylor-Johnson
- NBC's hospital sitcom 'St. Denis Medical' might heal you with laughter: Review
- Courtney B. Vance Sums Up Secret to Angela Bassett Marriage in 2 Words
- 'Real Housewives of Potomac' star Karen Huger involved in car crash after allegedly speeding
- Women's NCAA Tournament blew up in 2021 over inequality. It was a blessing in disguise.
Recommendation
-
24 more monkeys that escaped from a South Carolina lab are recovered unharmed
-
Federal officials want to know how airlines handle — and share — passengers’ personal information
-
Texas immigration law blocked again, just hours after Supreme Court allowed state to arrest migrants
-
NY state asks court not to let Trump forgo $454M bond during fraud case appeal
-
Nicky Hilton Shares Her Christmas Plans With Paris, the Secret To Perfect Skin & More Holiday Gift Picks
-
Megan Fox's Call Her Daddy Bombshells: Brian Austin Green, Machine Gun Kelly & More
-
Kyle Richards Weighs in on Family Drama Between Mauricio Umansky and Paris Hilton
-
Head of fractured Ohio House loses some GOP allies, but may yet keep leadership role amid infighting