Asif Merchant, also known as “Asif Raza Merchant,” has been indicted in federal court in Brooklyn on charges of attempting to commit an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries and murder-for-hire.
“The Justice Department will not tolerate Iran’s efforts to target our country’s public officials and endanger our national security,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As these terrorism and murder for hire charges against Asif Merchant demonstrate, we will continue to hold accountable those who would seek to carry out Iran’s lethal plotting against Americans.”
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The charges stem from a plot to assassinate a politician or U.S. government official on American soil. Although the indictment did not specify potential targets, reports suggest that former President Donald Trump and other US officials might have been on the list.
Thankfully, law enforcement thwarted the scheme before any harm could be done. Merchant, previously arrested and charged in July 2024, currently remains in federal custody.
If found guilty, Merchant could face up to life imprisonment.
The indictment alleges that he orchestrated this plot after spending time in Iran and arriving in the U.S. from Pakistan in April 2024. He contacted an individual, who later became a confidential source (CS), believing this person could aid his assassination plan.
Unfolding the Plan
In early June, Merchant met the CS in New York, detailing his plot and confirming it wasn’t a one-time opportunity. He used a “finger gun” motion to emphasize the lethal nature of the plan, stating the targets would be “targeted here,” meaning in the United States. He instructed the CS to arrange meetings with potential hitmen.
Merchant outlined a multi-faceted scheme involving:
- Stealing documents or USB drives from a target’s home.
- Organizing a protest.
- Assassinating a politician or government official.
He went into detail about possible assassination scenarios, even quizzing the CS on how the target would die in different situations, acknowledging the presence of security around the intended victim.
Merchant planned to communicate with the CS from overseas using code words once he left the U.S. and the assassination was carried out.
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The ‘Hitmen’
In mid-June, Merchant met with individuals he believed to be hitmen in New York. These individuals were, in reality, undercover U.S. law enforcement officers (UCs). He requested three services: document theft, arranging protests, and the assassination of a “political person.”
He promised to provide instructions on the target after leaving the U.S., either in the last week of August or the first week of September. He then arranged to pay the UCs a $5,000 advance for the assassination, which he received with help from someone overseas.
On June 21st, Merchant met the UCs again in New York and made the payment. One UC remarked, “now we’re bonded,” to which Merchant agreed. The UC further confirmed, “Now we know we’re going forward. We’re doing this,” and Merchant affirmed, “Yes, absolutely.”
Arrest and Aftermath
Merchant made travel plans to leave the U.S. on July 12th, 2024, but law enforcement arrested him before he could depart. The charges in the indictment are allegations, and Merchant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The case is being handled by the Office’s National Security & Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Sara K. Winik, Gilbert Rein and Douglas Pravda are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorneys David Smith and Joshua Champagne of the Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division.
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