C/O Futures Terrorism Research Note Series
Lisa J. Campbell
20 November 2024
On 7 October 2024, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, aged 27, along with an unnamed co-conspirator minor, was arrested for plotting to conduct a terrorist attack against unspecified large groups of people on the U.S. Election Day. It was later determined that Tawhedi was plotting on behalf of Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISK). A criminal complaint filed on 8 October 2024 cites two codes which were violated by Tawhedi and his co-conspirator: providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization (18 U.S.C. § 2339B) and knowingly receiving, conspiring to receive, and attempting to receive firearms and ammunition to be used to commit a felony or federal crime of terrorism (18 U.S.C. § 924(h)). The FBI detected suspicious activity early on and used Confidential Human Sources (CHS) and undercover agents to control the plot by contacting and handling the suspects during planning and procurement of weapons. Under the FBI’s control of circumstances, at no time was the attack going to succeed. Information on ISK’s involvement in the plot is limited but includes related communications between Tawhedi and an ISK facilitator located overseas, likely in Afghanistan.
