(Congressional Agenda) – Federal authorities have thwarted another potential assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, an unsealed complaint from a federal court in Brooklyn, New York revealed earlier this week. A Pakistani national, Asif Merchant, 46, was charged with murder-for-hire as part of an elaborate plot to assassinate U.S. government officials, right here, in our own backyard. Fortunately, law enforcement was able to take the man into custody before the attacks could be put into action.
According to a release from the Justice Department, “Merrick B. Garland, Attorney General, Department of Justice, Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Christopher Wray, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Christie M. Curtis, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, FBI, New York Field Office, announced the arrest and charges.”
“For years, the Justice Department has been working aggressively to counter Iran’s brazen and unrelenting efforts to retaliate against American public officials for the killing of Iranian General Soleimani,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement on the unfolding situation. “The Justice Department will spare no resource to disrupt and hold accountable those who would seek to carry out Iran’s lethal plotting against American citizens, and will not tolerate attempts by an authoritarian regime to target American public officials and endanger America’s national security.”
U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York divulged that Merchant had planned the murder of government officials while overseas, having himself been hired by others to orchestrate the plot, which was to be carried out on U.S. soil. He also asserted that the prosecution of the Pakistani national clearly shows that the Justice Department is willing to take swift action to preserve national security, the safety of government officials, and that of regular citizens.
NEW: DOJ announces it has charged a Pakistani national w/ ties to Iran in a plot to assassinate current & former US government officials on US soil in retaliation for the Soleimani killing. DOJ says Asif Merchant flew to the US in April after spending time in Iran, then traveled… pic.twitter.com/Hjp0L90BVT
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) August 6, 2024
Obviously, the Justice Department is trying to wash the tarnish from their reputation after having abused the legal system in their attempts to prosecute Trump on just about any charge you can think of. It’s like a child who has been assigned the task of washing dishes telling you he ought to get a raise in his allowance for doing his chore all week. It was already what he was supposed to be doing to help support the family. You don’t get rewarded for doing what is already expected of you.
“Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to the FBI’s Field Offices in Dallas, Houston, Tampa, Boston, Washington D.C., Chicago and Albany field offices for their partnership on this case. Mr. Peace also expressed his appreciation to the New York City Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection for their assistance,” the release disclosed.
“This dangerous murder-for-hire plot exposed in today’s charges allegedly was orchestrated by a Pakistani national with close ties to Iran and is straight out of the Iranian playbook,” FBI Director Christopher Wray commented about the potential plot. “A foreign-directed plot to kill a public official, or any U.S. citizen, is a threat to our national security and will be met with the full might and resources of the FBI.”
“The complaint unsealed today underscores, yet again, that those who engage in lethal plotting on U.S. soil will face the full force of the American justice system,” Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the National Security Division explained in a statement. “The targeting of former and current officials by foreign actors is an affront to our sovereignty and our democratic institutions and the Department of Justice will use every possible tool to expose and disrupt this egregious activity.”
“Fortunately, the assassins Merchant tried to hire were undercover FBI Agents,” Acting Assistant Director Christie Curtis of the FBI New York Field Office remarked in his statement on the arrest. “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.”
After spending time in Iran during the spring of 2024, Merchant traveled to the U.S. from his home country of Pakistan and shortly after contacted an individual he had connections to that could help him carry out his nefarious plot. The person then reported Merchant’s request to local law enforcement.
“In early June, Merchant met the CS in New York and explained his assassination plot. Merchant told the CS that the opportunity he had for the CS was not a one-time opportunity and would be ongoing. Merchant then made a ‘finger gun’ motion with his hand, indicating that the opportunity was related to a killing. Merchant further stated that the intended victims would be ‘targeted here,’ meaning in the United States. Merchant instructed the CS to arrange meetings with individuals whom Merchant could hire to carry out these actions. Merchant explained that his plot involved multiple criminal schemes: (1) stealing documents or USB drives from a target’s home; (2) planning a protest; and (3) killing a politician or government official,” the press release noted.
During the meeting, Merchant started to map out how to accomplish the various assassinations and began to question the CS about how he would kill the listed targets. One of the questions asked by Merchant was how the targets would die in each of the various scenarios he came up with. Merchant then told the CS none of the assassinations would begin until after he was out of the country. He would reach out to the CS when he was overseas using a variety of code words.
Merchant then arranged meetings with potential hitmen in June. These were actually undercover cops from New York. He needed them to complete three tasks: stealing documents, arranging protests at political rallies, and the assassinations. He told his potential crew of killers that they would receive instructions about who to assassinate during the last week of August or sometime during the first week of September after Merchant was off U.S. soil.
“Merchant then began arranging means to obtain $5,000 in cash to pay the UCs as an advance payment for the assassination, which he eventually received with assistance from an individual overseas. On June 21, Merchant met with the UCs in New York and paid them the $5,000 advance. After Merchant paid the $5,000 to the UCs, one of the UCs stated, ‘now we’re bonded,’ to which Merchant responded ‘yes.’ The UC then stated “Now we know we’re going forward. We’re doing this,” to which Merchant responded ‘Yes, absolutely,'” the release explained. “Merchant subsequently made flight arrangements and planned to leave the United States on Friday, July 12, 2024. On July 12th, law enforcement agents placed Merchant under arrest before he could leave the country. Merchant has stated that he has a wife and children in Iran and a wife and children in Pakistan.”
Anyone else weirded out by how Merchant wanted to carry out assaults during protests and political rallies? Sounds a lot like Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old who tried to kill Trump on July 13th. There’s no evidence he’s connected to any of this. It’s just eerie.
Let’s hope that Merchant gives up critical information concerning who is actually behind the plots and we’re able to take those folks down, holding them accountable for what they tried to do to our leaders.
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