Trump’s Homeland Security Triumphs as DOJ Thwarts Election Day Terror Plot
Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, an Afghan national residing in Oklahoma City, was arrested this past week as he stood accused of colluding in a plot to execute a terrorist attack on U.S. soil on Election Day in support of ISIS, as reported by the Department of Justice. Allegedly, 27-year-old Tawhedi sought to deliver tangible backing to the notorious terrorist group, securing weapons and ammunition with the expressed aim of committing a violent act in the name of ISIS.
Should Tawhedi be found guilty of all the charges leveled against him, he is staring down the barrel of a judicial sentence that could span up to 35 years. The sequence of events that led to his arrest unfolded as he and his relative by marriage purchased two AK-47 rifles, together with a supply of ammunition, from a covert operative of the FBI in a secluded Oklahoma locale.
Subsequent to his detention, Tawhedi conceded that both he and his accomplice had acquired the firearms with the intention to perpetrate an Election Day assault targeting crowded assemblies of people. Alarmingly, the pair were prepared and fully expected to perish in the planned attack, thereby obtaining status as martyrs, as stated in the affidavit presented to the court.
According to the federal affidavit, Tawhedi demonstrated suspicious activity online, leveraging his Google account to gain access to live feeds from webcams stationed at the White House and Washington Monument on July 25. Yet, in a display of homeland security prowess, the Justice Department successfully thwarted this nefarious plot.
The message from the Justice Department was clear. As a nation, we’re combating the persistent menace of ISIS and its support base. We’re committed to identifying, investigating, and prosecuting those who aim to wreak havoc on our freedom and safety. This is an instance where such a planned attack was uncovered and neutralized before any harm could come to the American people.
Given that the prime motivation behind Tawhedi’s purported plan was ISIS-driven, it’s a stark reminder that the disturbing threat of violence and terror hangs over our nation, particularly so on occasions as pivotal as Election Day. Notoriously, such acts are intended to incite fear and disrupt society, making this a top priority for our trusted FBI agents.
Undeterred by the looming terrorist threats, our dedicated FBI team will leave no stone unturned and exhaust all resources they have at their disposal to keep the American people safe. This alone should provide us measures of relief and a sense of security.
Tawhedi arrived on U.S. soil on September 9, 2021, as a holder of a special immigration visa, as detailed in the affidavit. The timing of his arrival aligns with the mass exodus of Afghans seeking sanctuary from the ensuing Taliban takeover, with many being relocated to various cities around America.
Amongst the cities welcoming the exodus was Oklahoma City, which served as a refuge for close to a thousand Afghans. However, the unfortunate reality is that not all arrivals harbor the best intentions, as exemplified by Tawhedi’s troubling case.
To illustrate the nature of this suspect, U.S. Sen. James Lankford labeled Tawhedi as an Afghan refugee in a recent press release. This serves as a potent reminder that our policies need to maintain thorough vetting procedures to ensure such threats can’t hide among genuine refugees.
Tawhedi was residing in an Oklahoma apartment, sharing the space with his wife and their 1-year-old child. His aforementioned brother-in-law, identified in the affidavit as an Afghan citizen, was a resident of Moore, Oklahoma, living with his parents.
Considering the FBI identified his brother-in-law as a minor, his name was withheld from the public record. As corroborated by the submitted affidavit, he entered the U.S. soil on March 27, 2018, through the special immigrant visa program.