Afghan National Sentenced to 15 Years in U.S. Prison for Plotting 2024 Election Day ISIS Terror Attack
Abdullah Haji Zada, an Afghan national and lawful U.S. permanent resident, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for conspiring with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to carry out a violent attack targeting the 2024 U.S. Election Day. Authorities revealed that Zada attempted to acquire two AK-47-style rifles and roughly 500 rounds of ammunition, intending to use them in a mass-casualty attack designed to disrupt the democratic process.
The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which used intelligence and counterterrorism monitoring to identify Zada, execute search warrants, seize evidence, and prevent the plot. U.S. officials emphasized that ISIS continues to encourage attacks on American soil, particularly around symbolic events such as national elections.
Following the completion of his sentence, Zada will be handed over to ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations for deportation to Afghanistan. This case underscores ongoing U.S. efforts to safeguard electoral processes and prevent terrorist threats, highlighting the critical role of ICE HSI in dismantling transnational extremist networks.
Abdullah Haji Zada, an Afghan national and lawful U.S. permanent resident, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for conspiring with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to carry out a violent attack targeting the 2024 U.S. Election Day. Authorities revealed that Zada attempted to acquire two AK-47-style rifles and roughly 500 rounds of ammunition, intending to use them in a mass-casualty attack designed to disrupt the democratic process.
The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which used intelligence and counterterrorism monitoring to identify Zada, execute search warrants, seize evidence, and prevent the plot. U.S. officials emphasized that ISIS continues to encourage attacks on American soil, particularly around symbolic events such as national elections.
Following the completion of his sentence, Zada will be handed over to ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations for deportation to Afghanistan. This case underscores ongoing U.S. efforts to safeguard electoral processes and prevent terrorist threats, highlighting the critical role of ICE HSI in dismantling transnational extremist networks.
Afghan National Sentenced to 15 Years in U.S. Prison for Plotting 2024 Election Day ISIS Terror Attack
Abdullah Haji Zada, an Afghan national and lawful U.S. permanent resident, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for conspiring with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to carry out a violent attack targeting the 2024 U.S. Election Day. Authorities revealed that Zada attempted to acquire two AK-47-style rifles and roughly 500 rounds of ammunition, intending to use them in a mass-casualty attack designed to disrupt the democratic process.
The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which used intelligence and counterterrorism monitoring to identify Zada, execute search warrants, seize evidence, and prevent the plot. U.S. officials emphasized that ISIS continues to encourage attacks on American soil, particularly around symbolic events such as national elections.
Following the completion of his sentence, Zada will be handed over to ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations for deportation to Afghanistan. This case underscores ongoing U.S. efforts to safeguard electoral processes and prevent terrorist threats, highlighting the critical role of ICE HSI in dismantling transnational extremist networks.
