A man was arrested last month on charges of plotting an assassination-for-hire attack against US politicians or officials, the Justice Department said on Tuesday.
A man has been arrested on charges of plotting to assassinate US leaders.
Asif Merchant, also known as Asif Raza Merchant, is accused of contacting someone to facilitate the assassination plot after arriving in the United States from Pakistan in April. The man told law enforcement about Merchant’s plans and began acting as an undercover source.
Merchant, 46, reportedly told confidential sources in June that he had an “opportunity” for her and made the finger-gun motion. The Justice Department said Merchant asked the undercover source to arrange meetings with people he could hire to carry out the murders.
FBI Director Christopher Wray said, “Today’s complaint alleges the dangerous assassination-for-hire scheme disclosed by a Pakistani national with close ties to Iran is straight out of the Iranian playbook.”
“A foreign-directed plot to assassinate a government official or US citizen is a threat to our national security and will be pursued with the FBI’s full strength and resources.”
Merchant allegedly paid undercover officers a $5,000 advance to carry out his plan and arranged to leave the country on July 12. However, the FBI arrested him that day.