Asif Merchant, a Pakistani national, has been arrested for allegedly scheming to kill former U.S. President Donald Trump and other government officials.
According to ABC News, Merchant was charged with murder for hire and brought before Brooklyn federal court, where details of the allegations were revealed.
The unsealed criminal complaint revealed that, though Trump was not explicitly named, sources related to the investigation confirmed he was among the planned targets.
Merchant, believed to have connections with Iran, had traveled from Pakistan to the U.S. aimed at recruiting assassins. His first point of contact in the country was a confidential informant already cooperating with the FBI.
In mid-June, Asif Merchant met individuals he thought were hitmen, not knowing they were undercover agents. He reportedly paid them $5,000 as a deposit to carry out the assassinations and was scheduled to leave the U.S. on the very day of his arrest on July 12.
Attorney General Merrick Garland highlighted the broader context of such incidents, "For years, the Justice Department has been working aggressively to counter Iran's brazen and unrelenting efforts to retaliate against American public officials for the killing of Iranian General Soleimani."
Merchant had not finalized the victim list by the time he was apprehended. The revelations coincided with enhanced security measures at public rallies, including the unprecedented allocation of Secret Service snipers for a former president, sparking increased vigilance.
This increased security stemmed from perceived threats that resulted in bolstered measures during Trump's rallies.
Pat Young, head of the Beaver County Emergency Services Unit, remarked on the noticeable shift in security strategy, reflecting on the allocation of Secret Service snipers to protect a former president for the first time during public events.
The Attorney General reaffirmed the commitment to thwarting such plots, stressing that the Justice Department will spare no resource to disrupt and hold accountable those attempting to carry out lethal stratagems forwarded by foreign regimes against American citizens.
The statement from Christie Curtis, acting Assistant Director of the FBI New York Field Office, underscores the critical role of FBI operatives in neutralizing such threats. Curtis emphasized the collective effort involving agents and analysts from multiple cities, underscoring their pivotal role in averting potential disasters.
A Pakistani national, Asif Merchant, was arrested for plotting to assassinate former President Donald Trump and other public officials. According to a criminal complaint unsealed in Brooklyn federal court, Merchant attempted to recruit hitmen to carry out the plot, which was reported to the FBI by a confidential informant.
Merchant, who is charged with murder for hire, paid undercover agents posing as hitmen $5,000 before his arrest on July 12. The Justice Department emphasized its commitment to thwarting threats against American citizens and officials.
