OKLAHOMA CITY — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) played a critical role in an FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) investigation that brought a would-be terrorist to justice. The investigation resulted in an Afghan national pleading guilty to federal terrorism-related firearms charges in connection with a planned Election Day attack inspired by ISIS.
Abdullah Haji Zada, 18, a lawful permanent resident originally from Afghanistan, pleaded guilty to knowingly receiving, attempting to receive, and conspiring to receive firearms and ammunition with the intent to commit a federal crime of terrorism. Court documents reveal that Zada and co-conspirator Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, obtained two AK-47-style rifles and 500 rounds of ammunition for a planned November 2024 terrorist attack on behalf of ISIS.
Zada, who was 17 at the time of his arrest in October 2024, entered his plea as an adult and faces up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. As part of his plea agreement, he will also be removed to Afghanistan after serving his sentence and has waived all rights to appeal or seek asylum.
USCIS’s Oklahoma City-based Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS) JTTF Liaison provided key immigration law expertise to federal and local law enforcement partners during the investigation. USCIS’ FDNS officers focus on identifying potential national security and public safety threats in collaboration with law enforcement and intelligence agencies. FDNS safeguards the integrity of the nation’s immigration system and ensures that immigration benefits are not granted to individuals that may pose a threat to national security or public safety.
The FBI Oklahoma City Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force includes USCIS, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Marshals Service, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and multiple local law enforcement agencies. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma and the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
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