Afghan Man Pleads Guilty to Supplying Weapons for Planned Election Day Terror Attack
An Afghan man has admitted to helping plan a terrorist attack backed by ISIS targeting Election Day in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Abdullah Haji Zada, 18, accepted a plea deal and pleaded guilty to receiving two AK-47-style rifles and 500 rounds of ammunition, federal officials announced on April 17. Prosecutors said Zada collaborated with Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, who also faces charges, in a plot to carry out an attack on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq.
The pair were arrested in October 2024 in Moore, Oklahoma, located roughly 10 miles southeast of Oklahoma City. At the time of their arrest, Zada was referred to by prosecutors as a “juvenile co-conspirator.” Court documents revealed that Tawhedi is Zada’s brother-in-law.
Former Attorney General Merrick Garland stated in October that the Justice Department had successfully disrupted the planned terrorist attack when the suspects purchased rifles from an undercover FBI agent.
While officials did not disclose the exact location of the intended attack, court documents revealed that Abdullah Haji Zada and Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi were aiming to strike areas with large crowds. The documents also indicated that both men expected to die during the attack, intending to become martyrs.
In the lead-up to the planned attack, federal prosecutors said in court documents that Abdullah Haji Zada and Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi liquidated their family’s assets and relocated their relatives to Afghanistan. The two then transferred funds to ISIS using the proceeds from the liquidation.
Authorities also uncovered evidence through a search warrant on Tawhedi’s Google account, which showed he had researched topics related to ISIS and firearms acquisition. “Which U.S. state have passed permitless carry gun laws,” according to prosecutors.
Zada faces a potential prison sentence of up to 15 years, prosecutors said. As part of his plea agreement, he has also consented to be deported to Afghanistan after serving his sentence.