Federal prosecutors have charged Asif Merchant, a Pakistani national with alleged ties to Iran, in a murder for hire plot of a U.S. politician or government officials.
A Pakistani national with ties to Iran was charged in a foiled plot to assassinate U.S. government officials on American soil, the Department of Justice said Tuesday.
Former President Donald Trump was one of the potential targets of the plot by Asif Merchant, who was arrested on July 12 in Texas before any attacks could be carried out, a senior law enforcement source told NBC News.
Merchant unwittingly coordinated with a confidential law enforcement source, who put him in touch with two more undercover agents purporting to be hitmen, the DOJ said.
Trump was nearly killed at a presidential campaign rally one day after Merchant's arrest, when a would-be assassin on a nearby rooftop fired at the Republican nominee while he was speaking onstage.
Law enforcement officials do not believe the alleged plot by Merchant is related to the assassination attempt against Trump at the rally in Pennsylvania, NBC reported.
Trump's Secret Service protection was increased prior to that rally, after U.S. officials learned of an Iranian plot to kill Trump, NBC reported in mid-July. Trump has been a focus of Iran's anger since January 2020, when he authorized the killing of a top Iranian general in Iraq.
HardcoreKaraoke on August 7th, 2024 at 00:34 UTC »
I love how the article says him being arrested the day before the assassination attempt in Pennsylvania is why they had "beefed up" security. If that was their version of "beefed up" security then I'm curious what the original plan was for the Pennsylvania rally.
Big-Heron4763 on August 6th, 2024 at 19:46 UTC »
After reading a few other sources I'm still wondering who else was on the hit list.
AudibleNod on August 6th, 2024 at 19:45 UTC »
Donald Trump has arrest warrants in both Iran and Iraq for the killing of Iranian General Soleimani.