Afghan National Pleads Guilty to Plotting Election Day Terror Attack in the United States

Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, a native and citizen of Afghanistan, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Oklahoma City to two terrorism-related offenses: conspiring and attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, and receiving, attempting to receive, and conspiring to receive firearms and ammunition in furtherance of a federal crime of terrorism.

“By pledging allegiance to ISIS and plotting an attack against innocent Americans on Election Day, this defendant endangered lives and gravely betrayed the nation that gave him refuge,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today’s guilty plea guarantees he will be held accountable, stripped of his immigration status, and permanently removed from the United States, and shows the Justice Department has zero tolerance for those who exploit our freedoms to spread violence.”

“The defendant admits he planned and obtained firearms to carry out a violent terror attack on Election Day in 2024, a plot that was detected and disrupted through the good work of the FBI and our partners,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Let this serve as notice to anyone who tries to conduct attacks in our homeland for ISIS or any other terror group: we will find you and you’ll face American justice. I want to commend the FBI teams and our partners for their hard work and success in executing the mission.”

“Through incredible law enforcement effort and coordination, a violent terrorist attack on American soil was thwarted, and those responsible are being held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma. “I commend the outstanding work by the FBI, our law enforcement partners, and prosecutors to diligently discover, thoroughly investigate, and completely foil this terror plot. These guilty pleas serve as an emphatic reminder that the Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners will aggressively pursue those who attempt to harm Americans through terrorist acts.”

“Thanks to outstanding work by the Oklahoma City Joint Terrorism Task Force, the defendant’s plan to kill innocent Americans in a terrorist attack on Election Day was stopped,” said Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. “The FBI is grateful to all who stand beside us in our fight against terrorism. Together, we will continue to safeguard our communities from those who conspire against the United States.”

According to court documents, Tawhedi admitted that between June 2024 and October 2024 he conspired with at least one other individual to purchase two AK-47 rifles, 500 rounds of ammunition, and 10 magazines, with the intent to carry out a mass-casualty attack on or around Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024, on behalf of ISIS.  According to a criminal complaint affidavit filed in the case, Tawhedi communicated with an ISIS facilitator about his plan to purchase firearms for use in the terror plot, including asking the individual whether 500 rounds of ammunition would be sufficient.

Tawhedi and his co-conspirator, Abdullah Haji Zada, were arrested on Oct. 7, 2024, after purchasing the firearms and ammunition from an undercover FBI employee.  Zada, 18, pleaded guilty in April 2025 to the firearms offense in connection with his role in the terror plot and is awaiting sentencing. Zada, who was 17 at the time of his arrest, entered his guilty plea as an adult and will be sentenced as an adult.

At sentencing, Tawhedi faces a maximum penalty 20 years in prison for the material support charge and up to 15 years in prison for the firearms charge. Zada faces up to 15 years in federal prison. Upon completion of any sentence, Tawhedi and Zada will be permanently removed from the United States and barred from reentry under stipulated judicial orders of removal to Afghanistan. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI Oklahoma City Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Marshals Service, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Edmond Police Department, the Moore Police Department, the Oklahoma City Police Department, the Oklahoma City Community College Police Department, and the Oklahoma City University Police Department, is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica L. Perry and Matt Dillon for the Western District of Oklahoma; Assistant U.S. Attorney Everett McMillian, who previously served in the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section; and Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. Trial Attorney Mark Stoneman of the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, who previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma, also assisted with the prosecution.