Pakistani National Charged in Alleged Plot to Assassinate Trump

On September 11, a Pakistani national was indicted for allegedly planning a cross-border act of terrorism and a murder-for-hire scheme aimed primarily at former President Donald Trump and other U.S. officials.

Asif Merchant, 46, also known as Asif Raza Merchant, was charged by prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York federal court following his arrest by federal law enforcement in July, as announced in a Department of Justice press release.

If found guilty, Merchant faces the potential of life imprisonment.

Attorney General Merrick Garland commented, “The charges against Asif Merchant illustrate our commitment to holding accountable those who seek to execute Iran’s lethal agendas against Americans.”

Garland added that the Justice Department will remain vigilant against Iran’s attempts to target American public officials and undermine national security.

The federal documents indicate that Merchant had traveled to Iran prior to arriving in the United States in April of this year.

In New York, Merchant contacted an individual he believed could assist him in carrying out the assassination. This person subsequently informed law enforcement and became a confidential informant for the FBI.

Merchant reportedly met with the informant in early June to discuss the assassination strategy and hinted that more plans would unfold, according to the Department of Justice.

The indictment alleges that Merchant instructed the informant to arrange meetings with individuals who would help execute the targeted killings, unaware that these individuals were undercover law enforcement personnel.

The plans included stealing documents or USB drives from the residences of Trump and other potential targets, organizing protests, and carrying out an assassination of a prominent political figure.

Merchant was also alleged to have deliberated on how the first target would be killed and raised concerns about the extensive security surrounding them.

He mentioned to the informant that he intended to leave the United States after the arrangements had been made, with plans to carry out the assassination in late August or early September.

On June 21, Merchant reportedly paid undercover law enforcement officers $5,000 as part of his advance payment for the murder scheme, stating that the plan was definitely moving forward.

FBI Director Christopher Wray remarked on the situation, describing the alleged plot as a typical operation of the Iranian regime. “This dangerous murder-for-hire plot was reportedly organized by a Pakistani national with connections to Iran and is indicative of the tactics employed by the Iranian government,” Wray stated. “Any foreign-directed scheme to assassinate a public official or any American citizen poses a significant threat to our national security and will be addressed with the full resources and capabilities of the FBI.”

Following the events of July, Secret Service officials cautioned Trump’s campaign team about an “evolving threat,” stemming from intelligence obtained by the Biden administration regarding a purported Iranian plan to eliminate the presidential candidate in retaliation for the drone strike that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.

Decision to execute this strike was made during Trump’s presidency in January 2020, when Soleimani, Iran’s highest-ranking general, was killed in Baghdad.