The FBI has arrested a 27-year-old Afghan man from Oklahoma City who, according to officials, was inspired by the Islamic State (ISIS) and plotting an Election Day attack aimed at large crowds across the U.S., the Justice Department announced Tuesday.
The suspect, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, was apprehended Monday and admitted to investigators that he intended to carry out the attack during next month’s elections, according to court documents. Tawhedi, along with a juvenile co-conspirator, reportedly expected to die as martyrs in the attack.
Tawhedi, who entered the U.S. in 2021 on a special immigrant visa, had been advancing his plans in recent weeks. The Justice Department said he ordered AK-47 rifles, liquidated his family’s assets, and purchased one-way tickets for his wife and child to return to Afghanistan.
“Terrorism is still the FBI’s number one priority, and we will use every resource to protect the American people,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement.
Tawhedi has been charged with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to ISIS, which the U.S. designates as a foreign terrorist organization. It remains unclear whether he has legal representation at this time.
Authorities did not release further details on the extent of Tawhedi’s plot but emphasized that the investigation remains ongoing.
