A Pakistani man with ties to Iran faces a new terrorism charge after he allegedly plotted to assassinate an American government official or politician.
The U.S. Department of Justice unveiled the new charge Wednesday against Asif Raza Merchant, 46, who was previously arrested and charged in a foiled murder-for-hire scheme.
The DOJ claims Merchant — after spending time in Iran — arrived in the U.S. by way of Pakistan in April and contacted someone who he believed could aid him in pulling off the assassination plot. However, that person immediately reported Merchant's plan to authorities and became an informant.
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In early June, the DOJ alleges, Merchant met with the informant in New York and asked them to begin arranging meetings with individuals who Merchant could hire to carry out a killing. That's when Merchant allegedly told the informant that his target would have "security all around" them.
Later that month, Merchant met with who he thought were hitmen, but they were actually undercover law enforcement officers.
The DOJ says Merchant then told the undercover officers that he needed them to steal documents, organize protests, and kill a "political person" who he would name at the end of August or early September — after he had already left the U.S. Then on June 21, Merchant allegedly met with the purported hitmen one last time in New York and paid them $5,000 in advance for the assassination.
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The DOJ said Merchant made flight arrangements to leave the U.S. on July 12, at which point law enforcement agents placed him under arrest. It remains unclear who Merchant was targeting to have killed. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.
FBI Director Christopher Wray said the foiled assassination plot was something "straight out of the Iranian regime's playbook."
“A foreign-directed plot to kill a public official, or any U.S. citizen, is a serious threat to our national security and will be met with the full might and resources of the FBI," Wray said in a statement. "Protecting Americans from terrorists remains our highest priority."
