Current:Home > reviewsJudge orders Afghan man accused of planning Election Day attack in US to remain in custody -Wealth Impact Academy
Judge orders Afghan man accused of planning Election Day attack in US to remain in custody
View
Date:2025-04-16 15:42:06
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An Afghan man who is accused of plotting an Election Day attack in the U.S. was ordered Thursday to remain in custody as officials disclosed that he had previously worked as a security guard for an American military installation in Afghanistan.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Suzanne Mitchell in Oklahoma City issued her ruling after hearing testimony from an FBI special agent that Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, of Oklahoma City, and his brother-in-law, a juvenile, took steps to obtain AK-47 rifles and ammunition and planned to carry out an attack targeting large crowds on Election Day next month. Mitchell also determined there was probable cause to bind Tawhedi over for trial.
FBI agent Derek Wiley testified that Tawhedi also is linked to an investigation in France that led to the arrests this month of three people, including two of Tawhedi’s brothers, who authorities say were plotting a terrorist attack in that country. One of those arrested in France, a 22-year-old Afghan who had residency papers in France, was being investigated for a suspected plan to attack people in a soccer stadium or shopping center.
Authorities say both Tawhedi and those arrested in France were inspired by Islamic State ideology.
The Justice Department said earlier that Tahwedi had entered the U.S. on a special immigrant visa in September 2021 shortly after Afghanistan’s capital city of Kabul was captured by the Taliban, and had been on parole pending a determination of his immigration status. In court Thursday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Dillon told the judge that Tawhedi had been temporarily allowed into the U.S. while he had a pending application for resident status, but that his parole status has since been revoked.
“Were he to be released today, he would be unlawfully in the United States,” Dillon said.
Tawhedi, bearded and with dark tousled hair, was led into the courtroom with his hands shackled around his waist and flanked by two U.S. marshals. Both he and his attorney, Craig Hoehns, wore a headset to communicate, and a Dari language interpreter was provided by the court.
Wiley testified that Tawhedi had been under observation by federal agents for more than 40 days before his arrest on Oct. 7. He said Tawhedi subsequently admitted to investigators that he and his co-conspirator planned their attack to coincide with Election Day next month and that they expected to die as martyrs in the attack.
Wiley said Tawhedi had used the online messaging application Telegram to communicate with an account associated with the Islamic State militant organization that was directing his actions, and that Tawhedi had sworn allegiance to the group and “would do whatever they told him to.”
In arguing for home detention while awaiting trial, Hoehns suggested that the only weapon Tawhedi ever handled in the U.S. was given to him by a government informant and that Tawhedi had never been arrested or even received a traffic citation in three years in the U.S.
Hoehns said Tawhedi had worked previously as a rideshare driver in Dallas and at several oil change locations in Oklahoma City.
France’s national anti-terrorism prosecution office has previously said that its probe leading to the Afghan’s arrest was launched Sept. 27, prior to Tawhedi’s arrest in the U.S.
What to know about the 2024 Election
- Today’s news: Follow live updates from the campaign trail from the AP.
- Ground Game: Sign up for AP’s weekly politics newsletter to get it in your inbox every Monday.
- AP’s Role: The Associated Press is the most trusted source of information on election night, with a history of accuracy dating to 1848. Learn more.
In a statement Wednesday, the FBI said the arrests in both countries “demonstrate the importance of partnerships to detect and disrupt potential terrorist attacks.”
“The coordination between the United States and French law enforcement contributed to these outcomes,” the FBI said.
___
Associated Press writer John Leicester in Paris contributed to this report.
veryGood! (23699)
Related
- 'Most Whopper
- Twitter threatens legal action over Meta's copycat Threads, report says
- Crossing the Line: A Scientist’s Road From Neutrality to Activism
- From Kristin Davis to Kim Cattrall, Look Back at Stars' Most Candid Plastic Surgery Confessions
- Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
- In Louisiana, Stepping onto Oil and Gas Industry Land May Soon Get You 3 Years or More in Prison
- Anthony Anderson & Cedric the Entertainer Share the Father's Day Gift Ideas Dad Really Wants
- Lupita Nyong'o Brings Fierceness to Tony Awards 2023 With Breastplate Molded From Her Body
- Jamie Foxx gets stitches after a glass is thrown at him during dinner in Beverly Hills
- Taylor Taranto, Jan. 6 defendant arrested near Obama's home, threatened to blow up van at government facility, feds say
Ranking
- Bodycam footage shows high
- Norfolk Wants to Remake Itself as Sea Level Rises, but Who Will Be Left Behind?
- Lily-Rose Depp and Girlfriend 070 Shake Can't Keep Their Hands To Themselves During NYC Outing
- Puerto Rico Passes 100% Clean Energy Bill. Will Natural Gas Imports Get in the Way?
- North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
- Amazon Shoppers Swear by This Affordable Travel Size Hair Straightener With 4,600+ Five-Star Reviews
- Minnesota Pipeline Ruling Could Strengthen Tribes’ Legal Case Against Enbridge Line 3
- As Congress Launches Month of Climate Hearings, GOP Bashes Green New Deal
Recommendation
Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
How Energy Companies and Allies Are Turning the Law Against Protesters
Animals Can Get Covid-19, Too. Without Government Action, That Could Make the Coronavirus Harder to Control
Minnesota Pipeline Ruling Could Strengthen Tribes’ Legal Case Against Enbridge Line 3
Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
Book excerpt: American Ramble: A Walk of Memory and Renewal
Harnessing Rice Fields to Resurrect California’s Endangered Salmon
Why Jennie Ruby Jane Is Already Everyone's Favorite Part of The Idol