Washington: The US Justice Department has charged a Pakistani man Asif Merchant, allegedly linked to the Iranian government, with plotting political assassinations in the United States, potentially targeting U.S. government officials, including former President Donald Trump.
In response, the U.S. government has heightened security for Trump and other officials.
While the criminal complaint does not explicitly name Trump, multiple sources have confirmed that he was one of the intended targets of the alleged plot. The plot was thwarted by law enforcement before any attack could be executed. Merchant is currently in federal custody in New York, according to the press release released by the FBI.
According to court documents, a federal complaint unsealed in Brooklyn has charged Asif Merchant, also known as “Asif Raza Merchant,” a 46-year-old Pakistani national, with murder-for-hire in connection with a foiled assassination plot targeting a politician or US government officials on American soil.
“Fortunately, the assassins Merchant allegedly tried to hire were undercover FBI Agents…This case underscores the dedication and formidable efforts of our agents, analysts and prosecutors in New York, Houston, and Dallas. Their success in neutralizing this threat not only prevented a tragic outcome but also reaffirms the FBI’s commitment to protecting our nation and its citizens from both domestic and international threats,” said Acting Assistant Director Christie Curtis of the FBI New York Field Office.
The law enforcement officers said that the accused was working on behalf of others overseas and planned the murder of US government officials on American soil. “This prosecution demonstrates that this Office and the entire US Department of Justice will take swift and decisive action to protect our nation’s security, our government officials and our citizens from foreign threats,” they said.
Merchant travelled to New York City and worked with a hit man to carry out the assassinations in late August or early September, federal prosecutors said in a court complaint. The complaint says the plot was intended to target high-ranking US officials, potentially including Trump. FBI investigators believe that the intended targets included Trump and other current and former US government officials.