Pakistani man, 42, with ties to Iran charged in assassination plot that may have targeted Donald Trump
A Pakistani man with ties to the Iranian government has been charged with plotting political assassinations that may have targeted Donald Trump.
Asif Merchant, 46, is accused of conspiring with an undercover agent posing as a hitman to carry out the killings after traveling to New York.
According to the Justice Department, his goal was to eliminate high-ranking U.S. officials in August and September.
The investigation was conducted just weeks before Trump was shot at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Asif Merchant, 46, is accused of conspiring with a hitman to commit murders after traveling to New York
The former president’s team had been warned that he was a potential target of assassination plots with ties to Tehran.
Iranian officials have openly expressed their desire to avenge the death of Qasem Soleimani.
The threat prompted extra security for an unrelated attempted assassination at Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Merchant was arrested the day before the July 13 rally.
Merchant is accused of flying from Pakistan to the US to recruit accomplices for his deadly plot.
Prosecutors say Merchant also paid $5,000 in cash to an undercover agent after a meeting in Manhattan.
Prosecutors say Merchant hatched his deadly plan with scribbles on a napkin
The photos show the notes he made on one of the napkins recovered during the investigation
News of the baffling alleged plot follows an unrelated attempt on Trump’s life
Prosecutors say he also paid $5,000 in cash to an undercover agent after a meeting in Manhattan and laid out his plans on a napkin.
The damning indictment reveals that he regularly traveled to Iraq, Syria and Iran.
While in the US, he contacted someone he thought could help him with his dark plans.
The person then contacted police and became a confidential informant.
Federal officials said his wife and children lived in Iran and he had traveled to Iran, Syria and Iraq.
AG Merrick Garland said in a statement: “For years, the Department of Justice has aggressively pursued Iran’s brazen and unrelenting efforts to retaliate against U.S. government officials for the assassination of Iranian General Soleimani.”
“The Justice Department will leave no stone unturned to thwart and hold accountable those who seek to carry out Iran’s deadly agenda against American citizens, and will not tolerate efforts by an authoritarian regime to attack American officials and endanger America’s national security,” he added.
The charges come as the Secret Service has come under renewed fire over a massive security lapse after a gunman opened fire at Trump’s rally last month.
Former Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle resigned following the shooting.
The attack also comes amid fears of a growing conflict in the Middle East, with the Pentagon sending additional troops to the region to prevent escalation. Iran is also expected to attack Israel, and its allies are expected to continue shelling U.S. military positions in the region.
Trump was not named in the charging documents, and sources said ABC potential targets came from both sides.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at her Tuesday briefing that based on the Justice Department’s ongoing investigation, ““There is no evidence to suggest that the individual named in today’s indictment has any connection to the attempted assassination of former President Trump that occurred in Butler, Pennsylvania.”
“These threats are driven by a desire to avenge the killing of Qasem Soleimani. We consider this a national and homeland security issue of the highest priority, the highest priority,” she said. “We have met repeatedly at the highest levels of our government to develop and implement a comprehensive response to these threats.”
Tehran denies any role in the plot. In a statement last month, Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said Iran “strongly rejects any involvement in the recent armed attack on Trump or allegations of Iran’s intention to carry out such an action. In his view, such accusations are based on malicious political motives and objectives.”