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Pakistani Citizen Charged with Failed Trump Assassination Plot

Posted on by darion

Top line

The Justice Department on Tuesday charged a Pakistani national with alleged ties to Iran with trying to organize an assassination attempt on U.S. political figures — reportedly including former President Donald Trump — as prosecutors linked the alleged plot to Iran’s promises to retaliate against the U.S. for the 2020 killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani.

Key facts

According to the indictment, Pakistani national Asif Raza Merchant was charged with one count of contract killing for allegedly attempting to recruit hit men to assassinate U.S. government officials.

One of the officials is believed to be Trump, who is not named in the indictment, according to CNN and CBS News, citing an anonymous U.S. official briefed on the matter and multiple sources familiar with the FBI’s investigation into Merchant.

Details of Merchant’s assassination plot included in the indictment do not indicate it was connected to Trump’s assassination attempt last month.

According to the indictment, in June, Merchant met with undercover U.S. law enforcement officers posing as hit men and gave them a $5,000 down payment for a hit that involved stealing documents or a USB drive from the victim’s home, organizing a protest and killing a government official.

CNN reported that information about Merchant’s plot prompted Trump and other government officials to tighten security measures.

According to the indictment, Merchant has a wife and children in Pakistan, and another wife and children in Iran. He spent two weeks in the U.S. before traveling to the U.S. Merchant’s travel records show that he traveled frequently to Iran, Syria and Iraq, and that he worked with a “group” in the country.

The charges in the indictment linking Merchant to Iran note that country’s promises of retaliation against the U.S. for the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani in 2020.

Merchant was arrested on July 12 — the day he planned to leave the U.S. and the day before the Trump assassination attempt.

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Key quote

Attorney General Merrick Garland said prosecutors were diligently trying to “counter Iran’s brazen and relentless attempts to retaliate against American government officials” for Soleimani’s death, adding that the U.S. would not “tolerate” attempts by an “authoritarian” regime to target Americans.

Chief Critic

“We have not received any reports from the U.S. government on this matter,” Iran’s Permanent Mission told Forbes. “However, it is clear that the modus operandi in question is contrary to the Iranian government’s policy of pursuing the murderer of General Soleimani.” Iranian officials have announced sanctions against those accused of involvement in the drone strike that killed Soleimani, the Associated Press reported.

Key general information

Iran initially responded to Soleimani’s death with missile strikes on Iraqi air bases where U.S. troops were stationed, causing several concussions but no fatalities. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement that the Justice Department “is sparing no resources to disrupt and hold accountable those who would carry out Iran’s deadly plot against American citizens,” noting Iran’s retaliatory actions against U.S. public officials. The heightened security measures for Trump after intelligence on Merchant’s assassination plot was released before the former president was shot in the ear in a July 13 assassination attempt. Government officials have not suggested or said that the gunman behind Trump’s assassination attempt was connected to Merchant’s plot. The FBI is investigating Merchant.

Further reading

What We Know About the Assassination Attempt on Donald Trump (Forbes)

Did Facebook and Google Censor Trump Assassination Attempt Photo? Here’s What Really Happened (Forbes)