The Justice Department announced the arrest of 27-year-old Nasir Tawhedi, an Afghan national living in Oklahoma, on Tuesday for allegedly plotting an ISIS-inspired attack aimed at killing Americans on Election Day. Tawhedi is accused of attempting to purchase semiautomatic firearms and ammunition to carry out the attack and reportedly liquidated his family’s assets while relocating them overseas in preparation.
Tawhedi, who entered the U.S. in 2021 on a special immigrant visa and is currently on parole status, allegedly conspired with a juvenile co-conspirator, also an Afghan national residing in Oklahoma. FBI investigators discovered images, posts, and texts from Tawhedi’s devices that showed his allegiance to ISIS, including evidence of donations to a charity believed to be funneling money to the terror group.
Tawhedi’s plans reportedly included the purchase of AK-47 rifles, as detailed in messages on Telegram, where he discussed buying 500 bullets for the attack. In the months leading up to his arrest, Tawhedi sold his house for $185,000 and relocated his family. He also conducted searches for “How to access Washington DC cameras” and inquiries about state firearm laws.
The FBI used confidential informants to set up a sting operation, leading to Tawhedi’s arrest, along with his co-conspirator, after attempting to finalize a gun deal. Both were taken into custody on Monday.
