A man with Pakistani origin and links to the Iranian regime was charged with attempting political assassination on US soil.
Asif Merchant from Pakistan was charged for hiring a hitman in the US to carry out an assassination for the murder of an Iranian military commander in 2020.
The court documents didn’t reveal the name of the intended target but experts believe it could be Donald Trump.
LEA Thwarts Asif’s Plan
The law enforcement agencies in the US thwarted Asif’s plan to carry out the assassination in the final stages.
The suspect was arrested while he was attempting to board a flight back from the US to receive instructions about the potential target.
Suspect Not Associated With Trump’s Shooting
US Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement that the arrest was not, in any way, related to Pennsylvania campaign rally shooting.
The arrest adds yet another layer of complexity to the already prevailing security concerns in the US.