US charges Pakistani national with Iranian ties in foiled assassination plot targeting govt officials

Washington, DC [US], August 7 : The US Justice Department has charged a Pakistani national with an alleged connection to the Iranian government for seeking to carry out political assassinations in the United States, potentially targeting US government officials, according to court documents unsealed on Tuesday, CNN reported.
This case has led the US government to increase security for former US President Donald Trump and other officials. While the criminal complaint does not mention Trump explicitly, however, multiple sources have told reporters that one of the intended targets of the alleged plot was Trump.
According to the court document, a federal complaint unsealed in Brooklyn has charged Asif Merchant, also known as "Asif Raza Merchant," a 46-year-old Pakistani national, with murder-for-hire in connection with a foiled assassination plot targeting a politician or US government officials on American soil.
The law enforcement thwarted the plot before any attack could be executed. Merchant is currently in federal custody in New York, according to the press release released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
"Fortunately, the assassins Merchant allegedly tried to hire were undercover FBI Agents," said Acting Assistant Director Christie Curtis of the FBI New York Field Office. "This case underscores the dedication and formidable efforts of our agents, analysts and prosecutors in New York, Houston, and Dallas. Their success in neutralizing this threat not only prevented a tragic outcome but also reaffirms the FBI's commitment to protecting our nation and its citizens from both domestic and international threats."
"Working on behalf of others overseas, Merchant planned the murder of US government officials on American soil," said US Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. "This prosecution demonstrates that this Office and the entire US Department of Justice will take swift and decisive action to protect our nation's security, our government officials and our citizens from foreign threats."
Merchant travelled to New York City and worked with a hit man to carry out the assassinations in late August or early September, federal prosecutors said in a court complaint. The complaint says the plot was intended to target high-ranking US officials, potentially including Trump.
FBI investigators believe that the intended targets included Trump and other current and former US government officials.
According to court documents, Merchant orchestrated a plot to assassinate a politician or US government officials on US 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. This individual reported Merchant's intentions to law enforcement and became a confidential source.
In early June, during a meeting with the confidential source, Merchant outlined his assassination plot and suggested that this opportunity would not be a one-time event. He made a gesture resembling a gun while discussing the killing and specified that the targets would be "here," referring to the United States.
Merchant's plan included various criminal activities: stealing documents from a target's residence, organizing protests, and ultimately assassinating a political figure or government official. He expressed concerns about security measures surrounding potential targets and discussed multiple scenarios for carrying out the assassination.
In mid-June, Merchant met with individuals he believed were hitmen but were actually undercover FBI agents (UCs). During these meetings, he sought their services for theft and assassination and indicated that he would provide instructions on whom to kill after leaving the US.
Merchant arranged to pay USD 5,000 in cash as an advance for the assassination services and successfully delivered this payment on June 21. Following this transaction, he made plans to leave the country on July 12, 2024, one day before Trump's assassination attempt. However, law enforcement intervened and arrested him before he could depart, the court document added.