Pakistani Man Charged In Plot To Assassinate Trump

August 6, 2024 Crime, Donald Trump

From the Justice Department:

Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, a complaint was unsealed charging Asif Merchant, also known as “Asif Raza Merchant,” 46, with murder-for-hire as part of a scheme to assassinate a politician or U.S. government officials on U.S. soil.

Law enforcement foiled the charged plot before any attack could be carried out. Merchant is in federal custody in New York.

Merrick B. Garland, Attorney General, Department of Justice, Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Christopher Wray, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Christie M. Curtis, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, FBI, New York Field Office, announced the arrest and charges.

According to court documents, Merchant orchestrated a plot to assassinate a politician or U.S. government officials on U.S. soil.

In approximately April 2024, after spending time in Iran, Merchant arrived in the United States from Pakistan and contacted a person he believed could assist him with the scheme. That person reported Merchant’s conduct to law enforcement and became a confidential source (the CS).

In early June, Merchant met the CS in New York and explained his assassination plot. Merchant told the CS that the opportunity he had for the CS was not a one-time opportunity and would be ongoing.

Merchant then made a “finger gun” motion with his hand, indicating that the opportunity was related to a killing. Merchant further stated that the intended victims would be “targeted here,” meaning in the United States.

Merchant instructed the CS to arrange meetings with individuals whom Merchant could hire to carry out these actions. Merchant explained that his plot involved multiple criminal schemes: (1) stealing documents or USB drives from a target’s home; (2) planning a protest; and (3) killing a politician or government official.

At that meeting, Merchant began planning potential assassination scenarios and quizzed the CS on how he would kill a target in the various scenarios. Specifically, Merchant asked the CS to explain how the target would die in different scenarios. Merchant told the CS that there would be “security [] all around” the person.

Merchant stated that the assassination would occur after he left the United States and he would communicate with the CS from overseas using code words.

The CS asked whether Merchant had spoken to the unidentified “party” back home with whom Merchant was working. Merchant responded that he had and that the party back home told him to “finalize” the plan and leave the United States.

In mid-June, Merchant met with the purported hitmen, who were in fact undercover U.S. law enforcement officers (the UCs) in New York.

Merchant advised the UCs that he was looking for three services from them: theft of documents, arranging protests at political rallies, and for them to kill a “political person.”

Merchant stated that the hitmen would receive instructions on who to kill either the last week of August or the first week of September, after Merchant had departed the United States.

Merchant then began arranging means to obtain $5,000 in cash to pay the UCs as an advance payment for the assassination, which he eventually received with assistance from an individual overseas.

On June 21, Merchant met with the UCs in New York and paid them the $5,000 advance. After Merchant paid the $5,000 to the UCs, one of the UCs stated, “now we’re bonded,” to which Merchant responded “yes.”

The UC then stated “Now we know we’re going forward. We’re doing this,” to which Merchant responded “Yes, absolutely.”

Merchant subsequently made flight arrangements and planned to leave the United States on Friday, July 12, 2024.

On July 12th, law enforcement agents placed Merchant under arrest before he could leave the country. Merchant has stated that he has a wife and children in Iran and a wife and children in Pakistan.

Read the full press release. Reuters and ABC News are reporting that Trump was among the targets. As you can see below, the cult is reacting in its usual fashion.



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