Afghan national living in the U.S. charged with plotting an Election Day terrorist attack

An Afghan national living in Oklahoma was charged this week with conspiring to carry out a terrorist attack on Election Day on behalf of the Islamic State terrorist group, according to court documents unsealed Tuesday.

Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, was arrested Monday in connection with conspiracy and attempting to provide material support to ISIS and getting firearms and ammunition to execute a violent attack in the U.S. on behalf of the terrorist group. Tawhedi made his initial appearance Tuesday in the federal courthouse in Oklahoma City before U.S. Magistrate Judge Suzanne Mitchell.

At attorney listed for Tawhedi did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday night.

According to court documents, Tawhedi indicated in seized communications that he planned his attack for Election Day, Nov. 5. Authorities said that in an interview after his arrest, he confirmed that the attack was intended to target large gatherings and that he was expected to die a martyr along with a juvenile co-conspirator, described as an Afghan citizen with legal permanent resident status.

The pair were arrested after they met two confidential human sources and an undercover FBI agent, who posed as business partners, at a rural location in the Western District of Oklahoma, to buy the rifles, 10 magazines and ammunition for the planned attack.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement Tuesday that the Justice Department would 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.”

A review of Google records showed that Tawhedi viewed and saved ISIS propaganda, according to court documents. Records also showed that in July he searched “How to access washington dc cameras,” and “Which U.S. States Have Passed Permitless Carry Gun Laws?” they said.

In late August, Tawhedi and his co-conspirator tried to liquidate family assets, including property in Moore, Oklahoma, which is under contract and pending sale, the family’s two cars, electronics and other assets, court documents allege. Tawhedi also made efforts to resettle family members in Afghanistan, and obtain AK-47 assault rifles and ammunition, according to court documents.

Tawhedi’s arrest comes amid rising concerns about the potential for political violence surrounding next month’s election.

President Joe Biden told reporters last week that he was confident that the election “will be free and fair,” but was less certain about “whether it will be peaceful.”

Both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have condemned political violence in the wake of two assassination attempts against former President Donald Trump, who has hinted at the potential for violence if he loses in November.

Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt cited Tawhedi’s arrest in attacking the Biden administration on immigration, arguing in a statement that Harris had “rolled out the red carpet for terrorists like Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi.”

The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday night.

According to court documents, Tawhedi entered the country on a special immigrant visa in September 2021, a month after the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said in statement Tuesday that the thwarted plot “is a powerful example of how the information-sharing measures we implemented between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies are making a real difference.”

“Those who seek to harm our nation, threaten our freedoms, and disrupt our way of life will be held accountable and face the full force of the law,” the Republican governor said.

The U.S. continues to battle the threat posed by ISIS both domestically and abroad.

In June, eight men from Tajikistan who had been on the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force radar with potential links to ISIS were arrested in New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles.

Defense officials said in August that the U.S. had conducted a military operation in Iraq that killed at least 15 Islamic State militant group fighters, including members in leadership.

A month earlier, U.S. Central Command said in a statement that through the first half of the year, ISIS took responsibility for 153 attacks in Iraq and Syria and that the terrorist group was on track “to more than double the total number of attacks they claimed” in 2023.