Federal law enforcement authorities in Oklahoma City arrested a 27-year-old Afghan national on Monday, unsealing a criminal complaint charging him with conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State and plotting a violent firearms attack targeting American voters on Election Day. The Department of Justice confirmed that Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi was taken into custody following an extensive undercover sting operation.
According to charging documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, Tawhedi was arrested alongside an unnamed juvenile family member after meeting with undercover FBI agents in a rural area outside Oklahoma City. During the transaction, Tawhedi purchased two AK-47 assault rifles, ten high-capacity magazines, and 500 rounds of ammunition, believing he was dealing with black-market arms suppliers.
Undercover Sting and Weapon Acquisition in Oklahoma City
Federal investigators revealed that Tawhedi had entered the United States in September 2021 on a special immigrant parole visa following the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan. Over recent months, FBI cyber surveillance units detected Tawhedi consuming extremist online propaganda produced by Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), actively communicating via encrypted messaging platforms with a recruiter, and contributing cryptocurrency donations to terrorist charities.
Court affidavits detailed how Tawhedi systematically liquidated his family assets in the weeks leading up to the planned attack. He sold his family home, transferred funds overseas, and booked one-way airline tickets to relocate his wife and infant child back to Afghanistan, intending to remain behind in Oklahoma with his co-conspirator to carry out the deadly operation and attain martyrdom.
“Terrorism remains the FBI's number one priority, and we will use every resource to protect our homeland and ensure American voters can cast their ballots safely without fear of violence.” — Christopher Wray, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Radicalization, Liquidation of Assets, and Co-Conspirator Charges
Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that the Department of Justice will continue to dismantle terrorist conspiracies wherever they originate, reiterating that safeguarding the electoral process against violent intimidation remains paramount. Garland emphasized that the undercover operation prevented any weapons from reaching public circulation, neutralizing the threat well before voting began.
Tawhedi faces federal counts of conspiring and attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, as well as firearms offenses carrying up to 15 years. He was remanded in federal custody without bail pending a preliminary hearing scheduled later this week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was arrested by the FBI in Oklahoma City?
The FBI arrested 27-year-old Afghan national Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi on federal terrorism charges.
What weapons were seized during the federal counterterrorism operation?
Undercover agents seized two AK-47 assault rifles, ten magazines, and 500 rounds of ammunition.
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