The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has taken an Afghan national into custody for allegedly conspiring to carry out a terrorist attack in the United States, according to an official statement. Federal authorities arrested 27-year old Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi from Oklahoma City on Monday after receiving information that he has been procuring weapons and making plans for an assault targeting crowded places in the country on the upcoming election day next month.
Court documents reveal that Tawhedi, who came to the US last year on a special immigrant visa, had been inspired by the extremist ideology of ISIS and expressed his willingness to die as a martyr. He is said to have consumed their violent propaganda material online and communicated with known extremists in the past. In recent months, Tawhedi had reportedly been seen conducting surveillance of the White House and Washington Monument. He is also accused of liquidating his family's assets and booking one-way tickets for his wife and child to flee to Afghanistan.
Officials further state that Tawhedi worked with an unnamed juvenile accomplice to purchase two AK-47 assault rifles and ammunition from an undercover FBI agent last week, believing them to be a gun dealer. Both individuals have been taken into FBI custody and face charges of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist group. If convicted, Tawhedi faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The investigation is ongoing to determine if additional suspects were assisting the plotting. FBI Director Christopher Wray has reiterated that combatting terrorism remains their top priority in order to protect citizens.