An Afghan national charged in connection with a planned Election Day attack inspired by ISIS recently plead guilty.
Abdullah Haji Zada plead guilty to knowingly receiving, attempting to receive, and conspiring to receive firearms and ammunition with the intent to commit a federal crime of terrorism. He faces up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. After serving his sentence, he will be deported to Afghanistan. He has waived all rights to appeal or asylum.
Zada was arrested in October 2024. He is a lawful permanent resident. According to court documents, Zada and co-conspirator Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi obtained two AK-47-style rifles and 500 rounds of ammunition on behalf of ISIS.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) led the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) investigation that also included U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
USCIS’s Oklahoma City-based Fraud Detection and National Security JTTF Liaison provided federal and local law enforcement partners key immigration law expertise to during the investigation.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma and the Justice Department’s National Security Division prosecuted the case.
The FBI Oklahoma City Field Office’s JTTF includes USCIS, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service, and Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.