The U.S. government has charged a Pakistani national who has been in contact with the Iranian regime, accusing him of conspiring to hire a mercenary to assassinate American politicians and government officials.
A knowledgeable American official stated that FBI investigators believe Donald Trump and other current and former U.S. government officials were the primary targets of this plot.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced this matter in a statement issued on Tuesday, August 7.
The name of the 46-year-old accused is reported to be Asif Raza Merchant.
A photo of him has also been released, and the U.S. Department of Justice stated that fortunately, the “hitmen” Asif Raza intended to hire were actually undercover FBI agents.
The U.S. Department of Justice has stated that this Pakistani national was born in Karachi and claims to reside in Pakistan, but he has a wife and several children in Pakistan as well as a wife and several children in Iran.
The department has accused Asif Raza of intending to target an American politician or government official on U.S. soil.
The Department of Justice’s statement says that law enforcement agents foiled the Pakistani national’s plot before any attack could take place, and Asif Raza has been in federal custody since July 12.
This is not the first time U.S. officials have claimed to have thwarted similar plots by the Iranian regime.
The FBI is still investigating the case of Asif Raza Merchant.
