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The US Justice Department has charged a Pakistani man Asif Merchant, allegedly linked to the Iranian government, with plotting political assassinations in the United States, potentially targeting U.S. government officials, including former President Donald Trump. In response, the U.S. government has heightened security for Trump and other officials. While the criminal complaint does not explicitly name Trump, multiple sources have confirmed that he was one of the intended targets of the alleged plot. The plot was thwarted by law enforcement before any attack could be executed. Merchant is currently in federal custody in New York, according to the press release released by the FBI.
According to court documents, a federal complaint unsealed in Brooklyn has charged Asif Merchant, also known as “Asif Raza Merchant,” a 46-year-old Pakistani national, with murder-for-hire in connection with a foiled assassination plot targeting a politician or US government officials on American soil.
“Fortunately, the assassins Merchant allegedly tried to hire were undercover FBI Agents…This case underscores the dedication and formidable efforts of our agents, analysts and prosecutors in New York, Houston, and Dallas. Their success in neutralizing this threat not only prevented a tragic outcome but also reaffirms the FBI’s commitment to protecting our nation and its citizens from both domestic and international threats,” said Acting Assistant Director Christie Curtis of the FBI New York Field Office.
The law enforcement officers said that the accused was working on behalf of others overseas and planned the murder of US government officials on American soil. “This prosecution demonstrates that this Office and the entire US Department of Justice will take swift and decisive action to protect our nation’s security, our government officials and our citizens from foreign threats,” they said.
Merchant travelled to New York City and worked with a hit man to carry out the assassinations in late August or early September, federal prosecutors said in a court complaint. The complaint says the plot was intended to target high-ranking US officials, potentially including Trump. FBI investigators believe that the intended targets included Trump and other current and former US government officials.
According to court documents, Merchant orchestrated a plan to assassinate a politician or U.S. government officials on American soil. In April 2024, after spending time in Iran, Merchant traveled from Pakistan to the United States and reached out to an individual he believed could help him with the plot. This person reported Merchant’s intentions to law enforcement and became a confidential informant.
In early June, Merchant met with the confidential source, detailing his assassination scheme and indicating that this would not be a one-time event. He made a gun-like gesture while discussing the killing and clarified that the targets were within the United States. Merchant’s plan included several criminal activities: stealing documents from a target’s residence, organizing protests, and ultimately assassinating a political figure or government official. He expressed concerns about the security measures around potential targets and discussed various scenarios for carrying out the assassination.
By mid-June, Merchant met with individuals he thought were hitmen but were actually undercover FBI agents. During these meetings, he sought their help for theft and assassination, indicating he would provide instructions on whom to kill after he left the U.S. Merchant agreed to pay $5,000 in cash as an advance for the assassination services, successfully delivering this payment on June 21. He planned to leave the country on July 12, 2024, one day before the planned assassination attempt on Trump. However, law enforcement intervened and arrested him before he could depart.