U.S. citizen Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh is a former foreign fighter for al-Qaeda. Between 2007 and 2014, he served in al-Qaeda’s elite external operations arm where he helped to construct a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device that was used in an attack on a U.S. military base in Afghanistan in January 2009. Farekh was arrested by Pakistani forces in 2014 and subsequently extradited to the United States, where he was accused of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists.U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, “United States of America against Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, Defendant: Sentencing Memorandum” The Investigative Project on Terrorism, January 5, 2018, https://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/case_docs/3634.pdf. He was charged with eight additional counts in a January 2016 superseding indictment, including conspiring to kill U.S. nationals and use a weapon of mass destruction.“United States District Court Eastern District of New York: United States of America v. Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh Superseding Indictment,” Department of Justice, January 6, 2016, 1 – 4, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/811101/download. He was found guilty for terrorism charges in September 2017 and sentenced to 45 years imprisonment on March 13, 2018.Brendan Pierson, “American convicted of supporting al Qaeda, aiding bomb attack,” Reuters, September 29, 2017, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-security-alqaeda/american-convicted-of-supporting-al-qaeda-aiding-bomb-attack-idUSKCN1C42ZY; Brendan Pierson, “American sentenced to 45 years prison for role in al Qaeda bomb attack,” Reuters, March 13, 2018, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-security-alqaeda/american-sentenced-to-45-years-prison-for-role-in-al-qaeda-bomb-attack-idUSKCN1GP2AD. Farekh had reportedly self-radicalized in 2006 by listening to the online lectures of American-born al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.“United States District Court Eastern District of New York: United States of America v. Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh,” Department of Justice, April 2, 2015, 4, https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachments/2015/04/02/farekh-complaint.pdf.

Farekh was born in Houston, Texas, in 1985 and grew up in Jordan, Dubai, and Canada, where he was raised in an “upper-income environment.” Between 2005 and 2007, he attended college at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada.U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, “United States of America against Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, Defendant: Sentencing Memorandum” The Investigative Project on Terrorism, January 5, 2018, https://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/case_docs/3634.pdf. Farekh spoke fluent Arabic, and joined the Muslim Student Association where he met Ferid Imam and Maiwand Yar, two fellow students.U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, “United States of America against Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, Defendant: Sentencing Memorandum” The Investigative Project on Terrorism, January 5, 2018, https://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/case_docs/3634.pdf. Together with others from the university, Farekh, Imam, and Yar traveled to Saudi Arabia on a religious hajj trip in December 2006. Thereafter, the three men self-radicalized and watched extremist videos that encouraged violent jihad, including Anwar al-Awlaki’s sermons.U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, “United States of America against Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, Defendant,” Department of Justice, 4, http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachments/2015/04/02/farekh-complaint.pdf ; U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, “United States of America against Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, Defendant: Sentencing Memorandum” The Investigative Project on Terrorism, January 5, 2018, https://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/case_docs/3634.pdf.

In early 2007, Farekh, Imam, and Yar planned to drop out of school to travel to Pakistan and wage jihad.U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, “United States of America against Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, Defendant: Sentencing Memorandum” The Investigative Project on Terrorism, January 5, 2018, https://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/case_docs/3634.pdf. Farekh and his co-conspirators obtained Pakistani tourist visas and purchased round trip tickets to Karachi, Pakistan, though none of them used the return portion of their tickets.U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, “United States of America against Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, Defendant,” Department of Justice, 4, http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachments/2015/04/02/farekh-complaint.pdf. In March 2007, the men traveled to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, an area in the northern part of Pakistan that borders Afghanistan, to join al-Qaeda and receive training.Department of Justice/Office of Public Affairs. “American Citizen Sentenced To 45 Years for Conspiring to Murder U.S. Nationals and Providing Material Support to Al-Qaeda”. March 13, 2018. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/american-citizen-sentenced-45-years-conspiring-murder-us-nationals-and-providing-material. Due to his familiarity with the West, Farekh joined al-Qaeda’s external operations arm and assisted senior al-Qaeda figure Abdul Hafeez, before he took a leadership position himself after Hafeez’s death.Department of Justice/Office of Public Affairs. “American Citizen Sentenced To 45 Years for Conspiring to Murder U.S. Nationals and Providing Material Support to Al-Qaeda”. March 13, 2018. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/american-citizen-sentenced-45-years-conspiring-murder-us-nationals-and-providing-material; U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, “United States of America against Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, Defendant: Sentencing Memorandum” The Investigative Project on Terrorism, January 5, 2018, https://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/case_docs/3634.pdf. Farekh was also a member of al-Qaeda’s Abu Bakr al-Saddiq combat battalion.U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, “United States of America against Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, Defendant: Sentencing Memorandum” The Investigative Project on Terrorism, January 5, 2018, https://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/case_docs/3634.pdf.

According to U.S. authorities, Farekh assisted in the construction of a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) that was used in an al-Qaeda attack on Forward Operating Base Chapman, a U.S. military installation used by the U.S. Provincial Reconstruction Team in Khost, Afghanistan. On January 19, 2009, two explosives-laden vehicles approached the base’s gate. One vehicle exploded, but the second was stuck and abandoned without detonating the VBIED. The initial explosion injured one U.S. soldier and numerous Afghan nationals. Authorities believe that the second device would have caused catastrophic damage and mass casualties had it been successfully detonated. Forensic technicians later recovered Farekh’s fingerprints and DNA at the packing tape that was wrapped around the second VBIED binding the explosive materials together.Department of Justice/Office of Public Affairs. “American Citizen Sentenced To 45 Years for Conspiring to Murder U.S. Nationals and Providing Material Support to Al-Qaeda”. March 13, 2018. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/american-citizen-sentenced-45-years-conspiring-murder-us-nationals-and-providing-material; U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, “United States of America against Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, Defendant: Sentencing Memorandum” The Investigative Project on Terrorism, January 5, 2018, https://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/case_docs/3634.pdf.

In late 2014, Farekh was arrested by Pakistani forces acting on intelligence provided by U.S. agencies.Mark Mazzetti and Eric Schmitt, “Terrorism Case Renews Debate Over Drone Hits,” New York Times, April 12, 2015, https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/13/us/terrorism-case-renews-debate-over-drone-hits.html; U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, “United States of America against Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, Defendant: Sentencing Memorandum” The Investigative Project on Terrorism, January 5, 2018, https://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/case_docs/3634.pdf. In January 2015, the U.S. District Court of Eastern New York issued a criminal complaint and warrant for Farekh’s arrest for conspiring to provide material support to terrorists.U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, “United States of America against Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, Defendant,” Department of Justice, 1 - 13, http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachments/2015/04/02/farekh-complaint.pdf. Farekh was deported from Pakistan in April 2015 and extradited to the United States, where he was arrested by the FBI and charged with conspiring to provide material support to terrorists.“Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, Former Winnipeg Student Accused Of Terrorism, Held Under 'Barbaric' Conditions: Lawyer,” Huffington Post, August 26, 2015, http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/08/26/barbaric-conditions-imposed-on-former-winnipeg-student-accused-of-terrorism-lawyer_n_8042356.html;
“American Citizen Charged With Conspiring to Provide Material Support to Terrorists,” Department of Justice, April 2, 2015, http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/american-citizen-charged-conspiring-provide-material-support-terrorists. Farekh was charged in a January 2016 superseding indictment with nine related terrorism charges, including conspiracy to murder U.S. nationals, conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, conspiracy to bomb a government facility, and conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists.Nate Raymond, “American al Qaeda suspect pleads not guilty as U.S. mulls new charges,” Reuters, January 7, 2016, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-security-alqaeda-idUSKBN0UL2IC20160107;
“United States District Court Eastern District of New York: United States of America v. Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh Superseding Indictment,” Department of Justice, January 6, 2016, 1 – 7, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/811101/download.

On September 29, 2017, Farekh was found guilty by the Federal District Court in Brooklyn for terrorism charges, including conspiracy to murder U.S. nationals, use of a weapon of mass destruction, and support of a foreign terrorist organization. Farekh’s defense attorney filed an appeal.Brendan Pierson, “American convicted of supporting al Qaeda, aiding bomb attack,” Reuters, September 29, 2017, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-security-alqaeda/american-convicted-of-supporting-al-qaeda-aiding-bomb-attack-idUSKCN1C42ZY.

A federal court in Brooklyn, New York sentenced Farekh to 45 years imprisonment on March 13, 2018. His defense attorney read a letter written by Farekh, which claimed that he now opposed violence and suggested it was possible for young men to be misled into violence. The court did not view his words as an “enthusiastic acceptance of responsibility” nor were they convinced that Farekh was no longer committed to violent jihad. Farekh’s defense attorney announced that he will appeal the conviction.Brendan Pierson, “American sentenced to 45 years prison for role in al Qaeda bomb attack,” Reuters, March 13, 2018, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-security-alqaeda/american-sentenced-to-45-years-prison-for-role-in-al-qaeda-bomb-attack-idUSKCN1GP2AD.

John Walker Lindh—known colloquially as the “American Taliban”—is a U.S. citizen and convicted former foreign fighter for al-Qaeda and the Taliban. He was captured in Kunduz, Afghanistan, in November 2001 and was transferred to the United States to stand trial on terrorism-related charges, including supplying services to the Taliban and carrying weapons while committing a crime. He was convicted in October 2002 and sentenced to 20 years in the Terre Haute Federal Correctional Institution in Indiana.“The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed October 2016, http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/walker/profile.html; Felicia Sonmez, “Sen. Shelby says Trump opposes early release of John Walker Lindh,” Washington Post, April 1, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sen-shelby-says-trump-opposes-early-release-of-john-walker-lindh/2019/04/01/6c26c68a-54e6-11e9-9136-f8e636f1f6df_story.html?utm_term=.ec8e9c502b21. He was released early for good behavior on May 23, 2019.Rachel Weiner, “‘American Taliban’ John Walker Lindh released from prison after 17 years,” Washington Post, May 23, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/american-taliban-john-walker-lindh-set-to-be-released-from-prison-after-17-years/2019/05/22/11aaba92-7041-11e9-9f06-5fc2ee80027a_story.html?utm_term=.02e3d2b78aa1.

According to his testimony to the FBI, Lindh grew interested in Islam at age 12 after watching the movie “Malcolm X,” which depicted Hajj, the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. In 1997, at the age of 16, he converted to Islam and began attending a mosque in Mill Valley, California. He adopted the names Suleyman al-Lindh and Suleyman al-Faris.“The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed October 2016, http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/walker/profile.html. Lindh reportedly became involved with the Sunni missionary group Tablighi Jamaat, which encourages followers to live as the Islamic prophet Muhammad did while rejecting organizational Islam. At the time of Lindh’s capture, experts on the group called it apolitical and did not believe it acted as a bridge to al-Qaeda or the Taliban.Associated Press, “JOHN WALKER LINDH: An American's journey to the Taliban front lines,” Kitsap Sun, December 21, 2001, https://products.kitsapsun.com/archive/2001/12-21/0063_john_walker_lindh__an_american_s_.html. However, authorities have since investigated the group’s links to a number of radicalized militants.Susan Sachs, “A Muslim Missionary Group Draws New Scrutiny in U.S.,” New York Times, July 14, 2003, https://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/14/us/a-muslim-missionary-group-draws-new-scrutiny-in-us.html.

Soon after converting to Islam, Lindh moved to Yemen to study Arabic and Islam.“The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed October 2016, http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/walker/profile.html. In October of 2000, he ventured to Pakistan where he enrolled in a madrassa, or an Islamic religious school. He then joined the Pakistani Harakat-ul Mujahedeen (HuM), a terrorist organization dedicated to wrenching Kashmir from Indian control and forming an Islamic state.“The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed October 2016, http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/walker/profile.html;
Stanford University, “Harkat-ul-Mujahedeen,” accessed October 2016, http://web.stanford.edu/group/mappingmilitants/cgi-bin/groups/view/219.

According to interrogation reports, Lindh crossed the Afghan border in July or August of 2001 to join the Taliban.“The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed October 2016, http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/walker/profile.html. In addition to fighting for the Taliban, Lindh also reportedly trained with al-Qaeda.“The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed October 2016, http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/walker/profile.html. According to his testimony to the FBI, Lindh spent seven weeks at al-Qaeda’s al-Farouq training camp near Kandahar, Afghanistan, beginning on June 1, 2001. Three of those weeks were devoted to weapons familiarization, one week to studying maps/topography, one to battlefield training, and one to explosives.“The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed October 2016, http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/walker/profile.html. According to the FBI, Lindh met al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden, who thanked him for “taking part in the Jihad.”“The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed October 2016, http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/walker/profile.html.

Lindh was deployed to the Taliban front lines following al-Qaeda’s September 11, 2001, attacks against the United States. He was captured in Kunduz by the U.S.-backed Northern Alliance in November of 2001, and was held prisoner in the Qala-e Janghi fortress outside Mazār-e Sharīf. After a prison uprising on November 25, Lindh was wounded in the thigh by shrapnel while Northern Alliance troops quelled the riot. On December 1, he was transferred to U.S. custody.“The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed October 2016, http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/walker/profile.html. The following day, Lindh gave an interview to CNN in which how his “heart became attached” to the Taliban’s cause while reading about the group in Pakistan.“The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed May 8, 2019, http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/walker/profile.html. He affirmed his decision to wage jihad, calling it the right choice and “exactly what I thought it would be.”“Walker: Prison uprising was ‘a mistake,’” CNN, December 20, 2001, http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/central/12/19/ret.taliban.walker/index.html; “The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed May 8, 2019, http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/walker/profile.html. Lindh claimed he belonged to the Ansar (“Helpers”), a group of Arabic-speaking foreign fighters funded by bin Laden.“Walker: Prison uprising was ‘a mistake,’” CNN, December 20, 2001, http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/central/12/19/ret.taliban.walker/index.html.

Lindh was held and interrogated at U.S. bases in Afghanistan for two weeks before he was transferred to a navy ship—the USS Peleliu—in the Arabian Sea.“John Walker Lindh Timeline,” Fox News, July 15, 2002, https://www.foxnews.com/story/john-walker-lindh-timeline; “The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed May 8, 2019, http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/walker/profile.html. He was transported to the United States in January 2002, and charged with 10 counts, including conspiring to kill U.S. citizens and aiding a terrorist organization.“Walker Lindh indicted on 10 counts,” CNN, February 6, 2002, http://www.cnn.com/2002/LAW/02/05/ret.indictment.walker/index.html. Lindh’s lawyers claimed that he had been subjected to torture during his detention and interrogation in Afghanistan.“The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed October 2016, http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/walker/profile.html.

Lindh reached a plea bargain with prosecutors in July 2002. He agreed to plead guilty to charges of supplying services to the Taliban and carrying weapons while committing a crime. He also agreed to rescind his claims that he had been tortured while in custody. In return, prosecutors dropped the more severe charges of supporting terrorism and conspiring to kill U.S. citizens.Neil A. Lewis, “American Who Joined Taliban Pleads Guilty,” New York Times, July 15, 2002, https://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/15/national/american-who-joined-taliban-pleads-guilty.html. In October 2002, Lindh was sentenced to 20 years in prison.“The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed October 2016, http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/walker/profile.html. Under the terms of his plea deal, Lindh provided the U.S. government with information on al-Qaeda and Taliban training camps and fighting in Afghanistan.“Fact Sheet: the Department of Justice Ten Years After 9/11,” U.S. Department of Justice, September 7, 2011, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/fact-sheet-department-justice-ten-years-after-911; Tom Jackman, “In Deal, Lindh Pleads Guilty to Aiding Taliban,” Washington Post, July 16, 2002, https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2002/07/16/in-deal-lindh-pleads-guilty-to-aiding-taliban/d323d911-d0d5-4aaf-8db7-e49eedfc964b/?utm_term=.56677ae6a5b1.

Lindh obtained Irish citizenship in 2013 by citing his paternal grandmother’s birth in the country. He reportedly is reportedly seeking to relocate to Ireland upon his release.Lukas Mikelionis, “John Walker Lindh, American ex-Taliban militant, obtained Irish citizenship thanks to his Irish grandmother,” Fox News, March 20, 2019, https://www.foxnews.com/us/john-walker-lindh-american-ex-taliban-militant-obtained-irish-citizenship-thanks-to-his-irish-grandmother. Irish government representatives have stated that, as a citizen, Lindh will not be refused entry into the country. According to a 2017 assessment by the National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC), Lindh remains radicalized.Lukas Mikelionis, “John Walker Lindh, American ex-Taliban militant, obtained Irish citizenship thanks to his Irish grandmother,” Fox News, March 20, 2019, https://www.foxnews.com/us/john-walker-lindh-american-ex-taliban-militant-obtained-irish-citizenship-thanks-to-his-irish-grandmother. A Los Angeles NBC affiliate wrote to Lindh in prison in 2015 asking about his views on ISIS. Lindh wrote back praising ISIS as “very sincere and serious about fulfilling the long-neglected religious obligation to establish a caliphate through armed struggle….” This correspondence reportedly formed the basis for the NCTC’s assessment.Ken Dilanian, “In letter, ‘American Taliban’ John Walker Lindh said ISIS ‘doing a spectacular job,’” NBC News, May 22, 2019, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/letter-american-taliban-john-walker-lindh-said-isis-doing-spectacular-n1008871.

Lindh received an early release for good behavior on May 23, 2019, despite the NCTC assessment and objections from President Donald Trump and other government officials. Lindh was subjected to three years of supervised release. He was not immediately subjected to restrictions against leaving the country, though he was forbidden from holding a passport. Lindh reportedly refused to sign a document guaranteeing he would not make a pilgrimage to Mecca. In addition to required meetings with a parole officer and mental health counseling, Lindh was forbidden from unmonitored Internet usage, using any language online except English without prior approval, and communication with known extremists.Rachel Weiner, “‘American Taliban’ John Walker Lindh released from prison after 17 years,” Washington Post, May 23, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/american-taliban-john-walker-lindh-set-to-be-released-from-prison-after-17-years/2019/05/22/11aaba92-7041-11e9-9f06-5fc2ee80027a_story.html?utm_term=.02e3d2b78aa1; Mary Harris, Marina Perelman, and Conan Nolan, “Prison Letters From ‘American Taliban’ Underscore Concerns Over His Supervised Release,” NBC4 Los Angeles – KNBC, May 22, 2019, https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/American-Taliban-John-Walker-Lindh-Prison-Letters-ISIS-Terrorism-510286491.html. Lindh’s supervised release requirement reportedly expired in 2022.Matthew Barakat, “FBI: ‘American Taliban’ Lindh meets with released extremist,” Associated Press, January 26, 2023, https://apnews.com/article/islamic-state-group-crime-organized-united-kingdom-government-legal-proceedings-726e5ae5da9915bbd8b1d8ea56bfc13e.

Despite the restrictions, the FBI recorded Lindh meeting with convicted ISIS supporter Ali Shukri Amin during the summer and fall of 2021.Adam Rawnsley and Seamus Hughes, “‘American Taliban’ Was Ordered Not to Meet With Extremists. He Did Anyway,” Rolling Stone, January 26, 2023, https://www-rollingstone-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/american-taliban-isis-john-walker-lindh-doj-1234669146/amp/. Amin was sentenced to 136 months in prison in 2015 for conspiring to provide material support and resources to ISIS. His prison time was to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release and monitoring.“Virginia Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years for Providing Material Support to ISIL,” U.S. Department of Justice, August 28, 2015, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/virginia-man-sentenced-more-11-years-providing-material-support-isil. He was released on May 4, 2020.“ALI SHUKRI AMIN,” Find an Inmate – Federal Bureau of Prisons, accessed March 9, 2021, https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/. Amin was subjected to lifelong restrictions against meeting with extremists. According to court documents, the FBI recorded the pair meeting on three separate occasions in 2021. Though Lindh’s restrictions expired in 2022, they were in effect during his meetings with Amin in 2021. Authorities launched an investigation into Amin’s alleged parole violation but did not immediately begin an investigation into Lindh. According to court documents, however, Lindh “remains a known extremist and is believed by the FBI to hold extremist ideations.”Matthew Barakat, “FBI: ‘American Taliban’ Lindh meets with released extremist,” Associated Press, January 26, 2023, https://apnews.com/article/islamic-state-group-crime-organized-united-kingdom-government-legal-proceedings-726e5ae5da9915bbd8b1d8ea56bfc13e.

Fadi Hassan Nabha is a former Hezbollah member who was arrested in Brazil on drug-related charges on July 29, 2016. Though Nabha was not arrested on terrorism-related charges, his arrest was reportedly part of a crackdown on Brazilian suspects with links to terrorism in anticipation of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.“Brazil Nabs Former Hezbollah Member Wanted for Drug Trafficking,” Reuters, July 29, 2016, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-rio-security-idUSKCN1091V5.

Nabha had been on the Interpol wanted list for drug trafficking since 2013. Upon his July 2016 arrest in the Sao Paulo suburb of Caieiras, Nabha told Brazilian police that he had served in Hezbollah’s Special Forces unit for two years, where he had acquired weapons and explosives training.“Brazil Nabs Former Hezbollah Member Wanted for Drug Trafficking,” Reuters, July 29, 2016, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-rio-security-idUSKCN1091V5.

Saïd Kouachi was a French citizen of Algerian origin and one of two brothers who carried out the January 2015 attack against the Paris offices of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.Harriet Alexander, “How did the Paris terrorists get hold of their weapons?” Daily Telegraph (London), January 17, 2015, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/11351855/How-did-the-Paris-terrorists-get-hold-of-their-weapons.html. According to Yemeni intelligence, both brothers had trained alongside al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in mid-2011 in Yemen, where they met Anwar al-Awlaki, the AQAP cleric killed by a U.S. drone strike in September of that year.“Kouachi brothers had weapons training in Yemen,” Al Jazeera America, January 11, 2015, http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/1/11/kouachi-france.html.

On the morning of January 7, 2015, Kouachi and his younger brother Chérif Kouachi forcibly entered the Charlie Hebdo office armed with assault rifles, submachine guns, pistols, and a rocket launcher.Harriet Alexander, “How did the Paris terrorists get hold of their weapons?” Daily Telegraph (London), January 17, 2015, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/11351855/How-did-the-Paris-terrorists-get-hold-of-their-weapons.html. Within 10 minutes, they murdered 11 people, six of whom were cartoonists.“Charlie Hebdo attack: Three days of terror,” BBC News, January 14, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30708237. While fleeing the premises, the brothers shouted that they had carried out the attack on behalf of AQAP.Mohammed Ghobari, “Exclusive: Paris attack suspect met prominent al Qaeda preacher in Yemen – intelligence source,” Reuters, January 9, 2016, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-shooting-yemen-idUSKBN0KI0PW20150109. The pair killed another police officer outside on the street, but managed to evade capture for two days. On January 9, French police confronted and killed both brothers in a shootout in Dammartin-en-Goële, 22 miles northeast of Paris.“Charlie Hebdo hunt: Bloody end to sieges,” BBC News, January 10, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30752239.

According to former CIA deputy director Michael Morell, the Kouachi brothers targeted Charlie Hebdo because the magazine had published cartoons of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Their motive was “absolutely clear,” said Morell, who added that the brothers were “trying to shut down a media organization that lampooned the Prophet Muhammad.”Dan Bilefsky and Maïa de la Baume, “Terrorists Strike Charlie Hebdo Newspaper, Leaving 12 Dead,” New York Times, January 7, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/08/world/europe/charlie-hebdo-paris-shooting.html?_r=1.

The Kouachi brothers, of Algerian descent, grew up in France. Their father died during the brothers’ early teenage years. Their mother sent them to a state school for special-needs children because she was unable to care for them. The Kouachis’ mother died before they completed school and they did not proceed to university. The brothers moved to Paris’s 19th arrondisement, a neighborhood known for its large and poor immigrant population.Scott Bronstein, “Cherif and Said Kouachi: Their path to terror,” CNN, January 14, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/13/world/kouachi-brothers-radicalization/index.html.

In the 19th arrondisement, the brothers attended Adda’wa mosque, a.k.a. La Mosquee de Stalingrad, with French Islamist cleric Farid Benyettou.Scott Bronstein, “Terror suspect Cherif Kouachi: ‘I was ready to go and die in battle,’” CNN, January 10, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/09/europe/cherif-kouachi-court-documents/index.html. In 2009, the Kouachi brothers and Amedy Coulibaly regularly met with Djamel Beghal, an al-Qaeda recruiter of Algerian descent who had been previously imprisoned for plotting to attack the U.S. embassy in Paris in 2001.Scott Bronstein, “Cherif and Said Kouachi: Their path to terror,” CNN, January 14, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/13/world/kouachi-brothers-radicalization/index.html. During their meetings, Beghal, Coulibaly, and the Kouachi brothers reportedly plotted to break Smain Ali Belkacem—convicted for the 1995 Paris metro bombing—out of prison.Carol Kuruvilla and Jaweed Kaleem, “Amedy Coulibaly, Paris Kosher Market Terrorist, Had History Of Ties To Violence,” Huffington Post, January 10, 2015, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/09/amedy-coulibaly-paris-kosher-market_n_6444418.html; “Paris attacks: Suspects’ profiles,” BBC News, January 12, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30722038. Police monitoring the group arrested the men in May 2010 before they could carry out the prison break.Greg Botelho and Ray Sanchez, “France: Raids kill 3 suspects, including 2 wanted in Charlie Hebdo attack,” CNN, January 21, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/09/europe/charlie-hebdo-paris-shooting/. The Kouachi brothers were implicated in the plot, but were not charged due to lack of evidence.Carol Kuruvilla and Jaweed Kaleem, “Amedy Coulibaly, Paris Kosher Market Terrorist, Had History Of Ties To Violence,” Huffington Post, January 10, 2015, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/09/amedy-coulibaly-paris-kosher-market_n_6444418.html.

Both Saïd and his brother reportedly had contact with Anwar al-Awlaki. According to an unnamed Yemeni security official, at some point between late July and early August of 2011, the brothers traveled to Yemen where they received training from AQAP and met with Awlaki.“Kouachi brothers had weapons training in Yemen,” Al Jazeera America, January 11, 2015, http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/1/11/kouachi-france.html. On January 9, 2015, during the final siege in Dammartin-en-Goële, Saïd’s brother Chérif told French media over a phone call interview that Awlaki had financed his trip to Yemen.“Charlie Hebdo shooter says financed by Qaeda preacher in Yemen,” Reuters, January 9, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-shooting-yemen-finance-idUSKBN0KI1Y320150109.

The Kouachi brothers’ attack on Chalie Hebdo was also linked to Coulibaly’s January 9, 2015, attack on Paris’s Hyper Cacher kosher supermarket.Griff Witte, “In a kosher grocery store in Paris, terror takes a deadly toll,” Washington Post, January 9,2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-kosher-market-seized-in-second-hostage-drama-in-nervous-france/2015/01/09/f171b97e-97ff-11e4-8005-1924ede3e54a_story.html?utm_term=.2d7aacfbb438; Angus Berwick, “Spanish police arrest man suspected of arming Paris supermarket gunman,” Reuters, April 13, 2016, http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFKCN0XA1JA?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0. Coulibaly took 16 occupants hostage, and reportedly demanded that police allow the Kouachi brothers to escape their hideout in Dammartin.Griff Witte, “In a kosher grocery store in Paris, terror takes a deadly toll,” Washington Post, January 9,2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-kosher-market-seized-in-second-hostage-drama-in-nervous-france/2015/01/09/f171b97e-97ff-11e4-8005-1924ede3e54a_story.html?utm_term=.2d7aacfbb438; John Lichfield, “Paris attackers interview with French TV station: ‘We are defenders of the Prophet… We took vengeance’, said Charlie Hebdo killer Cherif Kouachi,” Independent (London), January 10, 2015, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/paris-attackers-gave-interview-to-french-tv-station-we-are-defenders-of-the-prophet-we-took-9969749.html; Ricky Ben-David, “4 dead as French forces storm kosher supermarket, kill gunman; Charlie Hebdo terrorist brothers also killed,” Times of Israel, January 10, 2015, http://www.timesofisrael.com/terror-onslaught-in-paris/. Coulibaly claimed in a phone interview that he had “coordinated [with the Kouachi brothers] from the beginning.”Griff Witte, “In a kosher grocery store in Paris, terror takes a deadly toll,” Washington Post, January 9,2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-kosher-market-seized-in-second-hostage-drama-in-nervous-france/2015/01/09/f171b97e-97ff-11e4-8005-1924ede3e54a_story.html?utm_term=.2d7aacfbb438; “Paris gunman appears in video, declares loyalty to Islamic State,” Reuters, January 11, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-shooting-video-gunman-idUSKBN0KK0BL20150111; John Lichfield, “Paris attackers interview with French TV station: ‘We are defenders of the Prophet… We took vengeance’, said Charlie Hebdo killer Cherif Kouachi,” Independent (London), January 10, 2015, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/paris-attackers-gave-interview-to-french-tv-station-we-are-defenders-of-the-prophet-we-took-9969749.html. On January 10, a video was distributed online in which Coulibaly claimed to have synchronized his attacks with the Kouachi brothers.Fidelma Cook, Lucy Crossley, Tom Kelly, and Claire Duffin, “Hebdo killers in ISIS martyrdom video – as French police discover his massive arms cache and link him to another shooting two days earlier,” Daily Mail (London), January 11, 2015, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2905302/Calm-stare-Jewish-deli-terrorist-Jihadist-s-ISIS-suicide-video-emerges-confirms-link-Charlie-Hebdo-killers-calls-fellow-vigorous-Muslims-defend-prophet-Mohammed.html.

Chérif Kouachi was a French citizen of Algerian origin and one of two brothers who carried out the January 2015 attack against the Paris offices of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.Harriet Alexander, “How did the Paris terrorists get hold of their weapons?” Daily Telegraph (London), January 17, 2015, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/11351855/How-did-the-Paris-terrorists-get-hold-of-their-weapons.html. According to Yemeni intelligence, both brothers had trained alongside al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in mid-2011 in Yemen, where they met Anwar al-Awlaki, the AQAP cleric killed by a U.S. drone strike in September of that year.“Kouachi brothers had weapons training in Yemen,” Al Jazeera America, January 11, 2015, http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/1/11/kouachi-france.html.

On the morning of January 7, 2015, Kouachi and his older brother Saïd Kouachi forcibly entered the Charlie Hebdo office armed with assault rifles, submachine guns, pistols, and a rocket launcher.Harriet Alexander, “How did the Paris terrorists get hold of their weapons?” Daily Telegraph (London), January 17, 2015, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/11351855/How-did-the-Paris-terrorists-get-hold-of-their-weapons.html. Within 10 minutes, they murdered 11 people, six of whom were cartoonists.“Charlie Hebdo attack: Three days of terror,” BBC News, January 14, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30708237. While fleeing the premises, the brothers shouted that they had carried out the attack on behalf of AQAP.Mohammed Ghobari, “Exclusive: Paris attack suspect met prominent al Qaeda preacher in Yemen – intelligence source,” Reuters, January 9, 2016, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-shooting-yemen-idUSKBN0KI0PW20150109. The pair killed another police officer outside on the street, but managed to evade capture for two days. On January 9, French police confronted and killed both brothers in a shootout in Dammartin-en-Goële, 22 miles northeast of Paris.“Charlie Hebdo hunt: Bloody end to sieges,” BBC News, January 10, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30752239.

According to former CIA deputy director Michael Morell, the Kouachi brothers targeted Charlie Hebdo because the magazine had depicted and published cartoons of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Their motive was “absolutely clear,” said Morell, who added that the brothers were “trying to shut down a media organization that lampooned the Prophet Muhammad.”Dan Bilefsky and Maïa de la Baume, “Terrorists Strike Charlie Hebdo Newspaper, Leaving 12 Dead,” New York Times, January 7, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/08/world/europe/charlie-hebdo-paris-shooting.html?_r=1.

The Kouachi brothers, of Algerian descent, grew up in France. Their father died during the brothers’ early teenage years. Their mother sent them to a state school for special-needs children because she was unable to care for them. The Kouachis’ mother died before they completed school and they did not proceed to university. The brothers moved to Paris’s 19th arrondisement, a neighborhood known for its large and poor immigrant population.Scott Bronstein, “Cherif and Said Kouachi: Their path to terror,” CNN, January 14, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/13/world/kouachi-brothers-radicalization/index.html.

Chérif was known to French authorities one decade before the Charlie Hebdo massacre. In the 19th arrondisement, the brothers attended Adda’wa mosque, a.k.a. La Mosquee de Stalingrad, with French Islamist cleric Farid Benyettou. Chérif would later tell a French court that Benyettou first introduced him to the concept of jihad and encouraged him to go fight in Iraq. Chérif claimed that he committed to the idea of jihad during Ramadan in 2004 and told friends he was going to go fight in Syria.Scott Bronstein, “Terror suspect Cherif Kouachi: ‘I was ready to go and die in battle,’” CNN, January 10, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/09/europe/cherif-kouachi-court-documents/index.html. Benyettou allegedly taught Chérif how to use a Kalashnikov rifle and other weapons.Scott Bronstein, “Terror suspect Cherif Kouachi: ‘I was ready to go and die in battle,’” CNN, January 10, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/09/europe/cherif-kouachi-court-documents/index.html. Chérif was arrested and detained in 2005 for his connection to a terror cell that recruited young French Muslims to join al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI). Chérif was reportedly arrested before he was able to travel to Iraq via Syria in order to fight alongside AQI’s founder Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.Andrew Higgins and Maïa de la Baume, “Two Brothers Suspected in Killing Were Known to French Intelligence Services,” New York Times, January 8, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/08/world/two-brothers-suspected-in-killings-were-known-to-french-intelligence-services.html?_r=0. According to Chérif’s accomplices at the time of his arrest, Chérif was “ready to firebomb and to destroy Jewish shops in Paris.”Scott Bronstein, “Terror suspect Cherif Kouachi: ‘I was ready to go and die in battle,’” CNN, January 10, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/09/europe/cherif-kouachi-court-documents/index.html. He later admitted to anti-Semitic thoughts to French authorities but denied that he would take such action.Scott Bronstein, “Terror suspect Cherif Kouachi: ‘I was ready to go and die in battle,’” CNN, January 10, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/09/europe/cherif-kouachi-court-documents/index.html. In a 2007 deposition in French court, Chérif said that he was ready to “die in battle” to avenge “the torture that the Americans have inflicted on the Iraqis.”Scott Bronstein, “Cherif and Said Kouachi: Their path to terror,” CNN, January 14, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/13/world/kouachi-brothers-radicalization/index.html. French prosecutors eventually convicted Chérif in 2008 and sentenced him to three years in prison.Andrew Higgins and Maïa de la Baume, “Two Brothers Suspected in Killing Were Known to French Intelligence Services,” New York Times, January 8, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/08/world/two-brothers-suspected-in-killings-were-known-to-french-intelligence-services.html?_r=0. He was immediately released, however, having already served three years in pre-trial detention.Andrew Higgins and Maïa de la Baume, “Two Brothers Suspected in Killing Were Known to French Intelligence Services,” New York Times, January 8, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/08/world/two-brothers-suspected-in-killings-were-known-to-french-intelligence-services.html?_r=0.

While Chérif was prison, he reportedly came in contact with other jihadists who furthered his radicalization, including Djamel Beghal, an al-Qaeda recruiter of Algerian descent who had plotted to attack the U.S. embassy in Paris in 2001.Scott Bronstein, “Cherif and Said Kouachi: Their path to terror,” CNN, January 14, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/13/world/kouachi-brothers-radicalization/index.html. Beghal reportedly became a mentor to Chérif in prison. While in prison Chérif also met Amedy Coulibaly.Scott Bronstein, “Cherif and Said Kouachi: Their path to terror,” CNN, January 14, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/13/world/kouachi-brothers-radicalization/index.html.

After Beghal’s release from prison in 2009, Chérif and Coulibaly continued to visit him.Scott Bronstein, “Cherif and Said Kouachi: Their path to terror,” CNN, January 14, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/13/world/kouachi-brothers-radicalization/index.html. During their meetings, Beghal, Coulibaly, and the Kouachi brothers reportedly plotted to break Smain Ali Belkacem—convicted for the 1995 Paris metro bombing—out of prison.Carol Kuruvilla and Jaweed Kaleem, “Amedy Coulibaly, Paris Kosher Market Terrorist, Had History Of Ties To Violence,” Huffington Post, January 10, 2015, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/09/amedy-coulibaly-paris-kosher-market_n_6444418.html; “Paris attacks: Suspects’ profiles,” BBC News, January 12, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30722038. Police monitoring the group arrested the men in May 2010 before they could carry out the prison break.Greg Botelho and Ray Sanchez, “France: Raids kill 3 suspects, including 2 wanted in Charlie Hebdo attack,” CNN, January 21, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/09/europe/charlie-hebdo-paris-shooting/. The Kouachi brothers were implicated in the plot, but were not charged due to lack of evidence.Carol Kuruvilla and Jaweed Kaleem, “Amedy Coulibaly, Paris Kosher Market Terrorist, Had History Of Ties To Violence,” Huffington Post, January 10, 2015, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/09/amedy-coulibaly-paris-kosher-market_n_6444418.html.

Both Chérif and his brother are reported to have had contact with Anwar al-Awlaki. According to an unnamed Yemeni security official, at some point between late July and early August 2011, the brothers traveled to Yemen where they received training from AQAP and met with Awlaki.“Kouachi brothers had weapons training in Yemen,” Al Jazeera America, January 11, 2015, http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/1/11/kouachi-france.html. On January 9, 2015, during the final siege in Dammartin-en-Goële, Chérif told French media over a phone call interview that his trip to Yemen had been financed by Awlaki.“Charlie Hebdo shooter says financed by Qaeda preacher in Yemen,” Reuters, January 9, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-shooting-yemen-finance-idUSKBN0KI1Y320150109.

The Kouachi brothers’ attack on Chalie Hebdo was also linked to Coulibaly’s January 9, 2015, attack on Paris’s Hyper Cacher kosher supermarket.Griff Witte, “In a kosher grocery store in Paris, terror takes a deadly toll,” Washington Post, January 9,2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-kosher-market-seized-in-second-hostage-drama-in-nervous-france/2015/01/09/f171b97e-97ff-11e4-8005-1924ede3e54a_story.html?utm_term=.2d7aacfbb438; Angus Berwick, “Spanish police arrest man suspected of arming Paris supermarket gunman,” Reuters, April 13, 2016, http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFKCN0XA1JA?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0. Coulibaly took 16 occupants hostage, and reportedly demanded that police allow the Kouachi brothers to escape their hideout in Dammartin.Griff Witte, “In a kosher grocery store in Paris, terror takes a deadly toll,” Washington Post, January 9,2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-kosher-market-seized-in-second-hostage-drama-in-nervous-france/2015/01/09/f171b97e-97ff-11e4-8005-1924ede3e54a_story.html?utm_term=.2d7aacfbb438; John Lichfield, “Paris attackers interview with French TV station: ‘We are defenders of the Prophet… We took vengeance’, said Charlie Hebdo killer Cherif Kouachi,” Independent (London), January 10, 2015, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/paris-attackers-gave-interview-to-french-tv-station-we-are-defenders-of-the-prophet-we-took-9969749.html; Ricky Ben-David, “4 dead as French forces storm kosher supermarket, kill gunman; Charlie Hebdo terrorist brothers also killed,” Times of Israel, January 10, 2015, http://www.timesofisrael.com/terror-onslaught-in-paris/. Coulibaly claimed in a phone interview that he had “coordinated [with the Kouachi brothers] from the beginning.”Griff Witte, “In a kosher grocery store in Paris, terror takes a deadly toll,” Washington Post, January 9,2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-kosher-market-seized-in-second-hostage-drama-in-nervous-france/2015/01/09/f171b97e-97ff-11e4-8005-1924ede3e54a_story.html?utm_term=.2d7aacfbb438; “Paris gunman appears in video, declares loyalty to Islamic State,” Reuters, January 11, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-shooting-video-gunman-idUSKBN0KK0BL20150111; John Lichfield, “Paris attackers interview with French TV station: ‘We are defenders of the Prophet… We took vengeance’, said Charlie Hebdo killer Cherif Kouachi,” Independent (London), January 10, 2015, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/paris-attackers-gave-interview-to-french-tv-station-we-are-defenders-of-the-prophet-we-took-9969749.html. On January 10, a video was distributed online in which Coulibaly claimed to have synchronized his attacks with the Kouachi brothers.Fidelma Cook, Lucy Crossley, Tom Kelly, and Claire Duffin, “Hebdo killers in ISIS martyrdom video – as French police discover his massive arms cache and link him to another shooting two days earlier,” Daily Mail (London), January 11, 2015, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2905302/Calm-stare-Jewish-deli-terrorist-Jihadist-s-ISIS-suicide-video-emerges-confirms-link-Charlie-Hebdo-killers-calls-fellow-vigorous-Muslims-defend-prophet-Mohammed.html.

Mohamed Hamoud Alessa is a convicted Islamic extremist and would-be foreign fighter for al-Shabab.“Two New Jersey Men Sentenced To Decades In Prison For Conspiring To Kill Overseas With Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization Al Shabaab,” U.S. Department of Justice, April 15, 2013, https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/two-new-jersey-men-sentenced-decades-prison-conspiring-kill-overseas-designated-foreign;
Associated Press, “Two New Jersey men arrested on route to join jihadist group in Somalia,” NY Daily News, June 6, 2010, http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/new-jersey-men-arrested-route-join-jihadist-group-somalia-article-1.179245. He planned to join the Somali-based terror group alongside his friend Carlos Eduardo Almonte. Both men were arrested in June 2010 as they attempted to board separate international flights from John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport in New York. In April 2013, Alessa was sentenced to 22 years in prison. Almonte received a lesser sentence of 20 years.“Two New Jersey Men Sentenced To Decades In Prison For Conspiring To Kill Overseas With Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization Al Shabaab,” U.S. Department of Justice, April 15, 2013, https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/two-new-jersey-men-sentenced-decades-prison-conspiring-kill-overseas-designated-foreign;
“FBI followed every move of two N.J. terror suspects for years, culminating in airport arrests,” NJ.com, June 13, 2010, http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/06/authorities_followed_every_mov.html.

The FBI began investigating Alessa and Almonte—both residents of New Jersey—in October 2006 after agents received a tip from a member of the public. The individual warned that Alessa and Almonte were accessing extremist content online, and “[kept] saying that Americans are their enemies, that everybody other than Islamic followers are their enemies, and they all must be killed.”“FBI followed every move of two N.J. terror suspects for years, culminating in airport arrests,” NJ.com, June 13, 2010, http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/06/authorities_followed_every_mov.html. In a search of Almonte’s computer in 2007, FBI agents found content authored by Osama bin Laden and his then-deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri.“FBI followed every move of two N.J. terror suspects for years, culminating in airport arrests,” NJ.com, June 13, 2010, http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/06/authorities_followed_every_mov.html. After uncovering that material, the FBI launched a full-force investigation on the men called “Operation Arabian Knight.”“FBI followed every move of two N.J. terror suspects for years, culminating in airport arrests,” NJ.com, June 13, 2010, http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/06/authorities_followed_every_mov.html.

Alessa and Almonte began planning their travel to Somalia while under FBI surveillance. In order to prepare for their trip, the pair saved thousands of dollars and underwent physical training including running, lifting weights, and engaging in paintball fights. They also reportedly acquired “tactical clothing, hydration systems, knives, night-vision optics,” according to the U.S. Department of Justice.“TWO NEW JERSEY MEN PLEAD GUILTY TO CONSPIRING TO KILL OVERSEAS FOR DESIGNATED FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION AL SHABAAB,” U.S. Department of Justice, March 3, 2011. In November 2009, Alessa told an undercover FBI agent that he wanted to be “the world’s known terrorist,” and that “a lot of people need to get killed…..” He further revealed that he wanted to “get an assault rifle and just kill anyone that even looks at me the wrong way, bro. My soul cannot rest until I shed blood.”“FBI followed every move of two N.J. terror suspects for years, culminating in airport arrests,” NJ.com, June 13, 2010, http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/06/authorities_followed_every_mov.html.

During this time, Alessa and Almonte acquired, watched, and disseminated extremist content including audio and video materials produced by al-Qaeda, al-Shabab, and other terrorist groups. Both men reportedly viewed and listened to audio lectures and videos of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who was killed in a targeted U.S. drone strike in Yemen in 2011. The men reportedly shared Awlaki’s videos with an undercover FBI agent.William K. Rashbaum “Two Arrested at Kennedy Airport on Terror Charges,” New York Times, June 6, 2010, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/nyregion/07terror.html?src=mv. The pair is also believed to have supported Revolution Muslim, a group and website founded by U.S. extremist Jesse Morton. Morton was interviewed by investigators from the New York City police on the day after Alessa and Almonte’s arrest in June 2010, according to court documents.“Statement of Facts: United States of America v. Jesse Curtis Morton, defendant,” U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, 19. Morton pled guilty in February 2012 to conspiring to solicit murder and using the Internet “to place others in fear.”“Leader of Revolution Muslim Pleads Guilty to Using Internet to Solicit Murder and Encourage Violent Extremism,” FBI, February 9, 2012, https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/washingtondc/press-releases/2012/leader-of-revolution-muslim-pleads-guilty-to-using-internet-to-solicit-murder-and-encourage-violent-extremism.

In preparation for Alessa and Almonte’s arrest, the FBI coordinated with multiple U.S. bodies including the State Department and the Transportation Security Agency. On June 5, 2010, the day of the arrest, FBI agents dressed as civilians tracked both Alessa and Almonte at their homes, during transit to the airport, and finally at JFK. Both men planned to fly to Egypt, from where they would travel on to Somalia. After going through security, Alessa and Almonte were arrested and charged with conspiring to commit an act of international terrorism.Associated Press, “Two New Jersey men arrested on route to join jihadist group in Somalia,” NY Daily News, June 6, 2010, http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/new-jersey-men-arrested-route-join-jihadist-group-somalia-article-1.179245;
“FBI followed every move of two N.J. terror suspects for years, culminating in airport arrests,” NJ.com, June 13, 2010, http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/06/authorities_followed_every_mov.html.

In March 2013, both men pled guilty to conspiring to murder persons outside the United States on behalf of designated Foreign Terrorist Organization al-Shabab.“TWO NEW JERSEY MEN PLEAD GUILTY TO CONSPIRING TO KILL OVERSEAS FOR DESIGNATED FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION AL SHABAAB,” U.S. Department of Justice, March 3, 2011. Alessa was sentenced to 22 years in prison in April 2013.“Two New Jersey Men Sentenced To Decades In Prison For Conspiring To Kill Overseas With Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization Al Shabaab,” U.S. Department of Justice, April 15, 2013, https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/two-new-jersey-men-sentenced-decades-prison-conspiring-kill-overseas-designated-foreign.

Carlos Eduardo Almonte, a.k.a. Omar, is a convert to Islam, convicted Islamic extremist, and would-be foreign fighter for al-Shabaab. He planned to join the Somali-based terror group alongside his friend Mohamed Hamoud Alessa. The two men were arrested in June 2010 as they attempted to board separate international flights from John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport in New York. In April 2013, Almonte was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Alessa received a greater sentence of 22 years.“Two New Jersey Men Sentenced To Decades In Prison For Conspiring To Kill Overseas With Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization Al Shabaab,” U.S. Department of Justice, April 15, 2013, https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/two-new-jersey-men-sentenced-decades-prison-conspiring-kill-overseas-designated-foreign;
“FBI followed every move of two N.J. terror suspects for years, culminating in airport arrests,” NJ.com, June 13, 2010, http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/06/authorities_followed_every_mov.html.

In 2004, while in high school, Almonte was arrested several times on charges related to weapons, assault, and underage drinking. According to Almonte’s family, it was around that time that he converted to Islam, adopting the name Omar.Kareem Fahim, Richard Perez-Pena, and Karen Zraick, “From Wayward Teenagers to Terror Suspects,” New York Times, June 11, 2010, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/12/nyregion/12suspects.html.

The FBI began investigating Almonte and Alessa—both residents of New Jersey—in October 2006 after agents received a tip from a member of the public. The individual warned that Almonte and Alessa were accessing extremist content online, and “[kept] saying that Americans are their enemies, that everybody other than Islamic followers are their enemies, and they all must be killed.”“FBI followed every move of two N.J. terror suspects for years, culminating in airport arrests,” NJ.com, June 13, 2010, http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/06/authorities_followed_every_mov.html. In a search of Almonte’s computer in 2007, FBI agents found content authored by Osama bin Laden and his then-deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri.“FBI followed every move of two N.J. terror suspects for years, culminating in airport arrests,” NJ.com, June 13, 2010, http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/06/authorities_followed_every_mov.html. After uncovering that material, the FBI launched a full-force investigation on the men called “Operation Arabian Knight.”“FBI followed every move of two N.J. terror suspects for years, culminating in airport arrests,” NJ.com, June 13, 2010, http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/06/authorities_followed_every_mov.html.

Almonte and Alessa began planning their travel to Somalia while under FBI surveillance. In order to prepare for their trip, the pair saved thousands of dollars and underwent physical training including running, lifting weights, and engaging in paintball fights. They also reportedly acquired “tactical clothing, hydration systems, knives, night-vision optics,” according to the U.S. Department of Justice.“TWO NEW JERSEY MEN PLEAD GUILTY TO CONSPIRING TO KILL OVERSEAS FOR DESIGNATED FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION AL SHABAAB,” U.S. Department of Justice, March 3, 2011.

During this time, Almonte and Alessa acquired, watched, and disseminated extremist content including audio and video materials produced by al-Qaeda, al-Shabaab, and other terrorist groups.

Both men reportedly viewed and listened to audio lectures and videos of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who was killed in a targeted U.S. drone strike in Yemen in 2011. The men reportedly shared Awlaki’s videos with an undercover FBI agent. William K. Rashbaum “Two Arrested at Kennedy Airport on Terror Charges,” New York Times, June 6, 2010, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/nyregion/07terror.html?src=mv. The pair is also believed to have supported Revolution Muslim, a group and website founded by U.S. extremist Jesse Morton. Morton was interviewed by investigators from the New York City police on the day after Almonte and Alessa’s arrest in June 2010, according to court documents.“Statement of Facts: United States of America v. Jesse Curtis Morton, defendant,” U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, 19. Morton pled guilty in February 2012 to conspiring to solicit murder and using the Internet “to place others in fear.”“Leader of Revolution Muslim Pleads Guilty to Using Internet to Solicit Murder and Encourage Violent Extremism,” FBI, February 9, 2012, https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/washingtondc/press-releases/2012/leader-of-revolution-muslim-pleads-guilty-to-using-internet-to-solicit-murder-and-encourage-violent-extremism.

In preparation for Almonte and Alessa’s arrest, the FBI coordinated with multiple U.S. bodies including the State Department and the Transportation Security Agency. On June 5, 2010, the day of the arrest, FBI agents dressed as civilians tracked both Almonte and Alessa at their homes, during transit to the airport, and finally at JFK. Both men planned to fly to Egypt, from where they would travel on to Somalia. After going through security, Almonte and Alessa were arrested and charged with conspiring to commit an act of international terrorism.Associated Press, “Two New Jersey men arrested on route to join jihadist group in Somalia,” NY Daily News, June 6, 2010, http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/new-jersey-men-arrested-route-join-jihadist-group-somalia-article-1.179245;
“FBI followed every move of two N.J. terror suspects for years, culminating in airport arrests,” NJ.com, June 13, 2010, http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/06/authorities_followed_every_mov.html.

In March 2013, both men pled guilty to conspiring to murder persons outside the United States on behalf of designated Foreign Terrorist Organization al-Shabaab.“TWO NEW JERSEY MEN PLEAD GUILTY TO CONSPIRING TO KILL OVERSEAS FOR DESIGNATED FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION AL SHABAAB,” U.S. Department of Justice, March 3, 2011. Almonte was sentenced to 20 years in prison in April 2013.“Two New Jersey Men Sentenced To Decades In Prison For Conspiring To Kill Overseas With Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization Al Shabaab,” U.S. Department of Justice, April 15, 2013, https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/two-new-jersey-men-sentenced-decades-prison-conspiring-kill-overseas-designated-foreign.

U.S. citizen Bryant Neal Vinas is a convert to Islam and a convicted foreign fighter for al-Qaeda who went on to become a cooperating witness in U.S. investigations of the terror group. In September 2008, Vinas participated in al-Qaeda attacks against U.S. Army bases in Afghanistan in order to kill U.S. soldiers. He was arrested in Peshawar, Pakistan, in November 2008, and transferred to U.S. custody. In January 2009, he pled guilty in a New York federal court to conspiracy to murder U.S. nationals, providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, and receiving military-type training from a foreign terrorist organization.“One American's journey from Long Island to al Qaeda,” CNN, accessed August 17, 2018, http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/05/11/timeline.bryant.vinas/index.html; “Sealed Pages of Transcript Proceedings,” Nicholas G. Garaufis, U.S.D.J., January 28, 2009, p. 31; Paul Cruickshank, Nic Robertson and Ken Shiffman, “From Long Island to Lahore: The plot to bomb New York,” CNN, May 21, 2010, http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/05/14/bryant.neal.vinas.part2/index.html. While incarcerated, Vinas cooperated with U.S. authorities and provided helpful intelligence and insights into al-Qaeda that allowed the government to disrupt the terror group’s operations. He was released from federal prison in 2017.Adam Goldman, “Service to Both Al Qaeda and U.S., With Fate Hanging in the Balance,” New York Times, May 15, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/15/us/politics/service-to-both-al-qaeda-and-us-and-a-fate-hanging-in-the-balance.html. U.S. prosecutors have called Vinas the “single most valuable cooperating witness” in disrupting al-Qaeda operations.Adam Goldman, “Service to Both Al Qaeda and the U.S., With Fate Hanging in the Balance,” New York Times, May 15, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/15/us/politics/service-to-both-al-qaeda-and-us-and-a-fate-hanging-in-the-balance.html?module=inline.

Directly after high school, Vinas enlisted in the U.S. Army, though he spent just one month in boot camp between March 12, 2002, and April 11, 2002, before he quit and was ultimately discharged. Following his discharge, Vinas was reportedly dispirited and became inquisitive of Islam, leading him to read the Quran and study the Arabic language. He eventually converted to Islam at a mosque in Queens, New York.Paul Cruickshank, Nic Robertson, and Ken Shiffman, “The Radicalization of an all-American,” CNN, May 15, 2010, http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/05/13/bryant.neal.vinas.part1/; Sebastian Rotella And Josh Meyer, “U.S.-born militant who fought for Al Qaeda is in custody,” Los Angeles Times, July 23, 2009, http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jul/23/nation/na-american-jihad23; Adam Goldman, “He Turned on Al Qaeda and Aided the U.S. Now He’s on Food Stamps and Needs a Job,” New York Times, March 6, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/06/us/politics/bryant-neal-vinas-terrorism-cooperation-fbi-witness-protection.html.

Vinas was largely self-radicalized on the Internet, according to U.S. authorities.William K. Rashbaum and Souad Mekhennet, “L.I. Man Helped Qaeda, Then Informed,” New York Times, July 22, 2009, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/23/nyregion/23terror.html?hp&_r=0. When Vinas began to attend mosques in the greater New York City area, he befriended Ahmad Zarinni, who allegedly introduced him to the now-defunct Islamic Thinkers Society (ITS). ITS was a reported spin-off of the banned British group al-Muhajiroun, cofounded by convicted ISIS supporter Anjem Choudary. Vinas was increasingly influenced by hardliner individuals including Joseph Leonard Cohen (a.k.a. Yousef al-Khattab), the main ideologue of ITS and cofounder of the website and extremist group Revolution Muslim, led by Jesse Morton (a.k.a. Younes Abdullah Muhammad) at that time. Vinas also met a Pakistani man, Ahmer Qayyum, through ITS circles.“One American's journey from Long Island to al Qaeda,” CNN, accessed August 17, 2018, http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/05/11/timeline.bryant.vinas/index.html; “Sealed Pages of Transcript Proceedings,” Nicholas G. Garaufis, U.S.D.J., January 28, 2009, p. 31; “Zachary Chesser’s Radical Affiliations,” Start UMD, accessed August 17, 2018, https://www.start.umd.edu/sites/default/files/files/publications/research_briefs/ChesserLinkAnalysis.pdf; “Arrest of British Islamic radicals might spur attacks against Western targets,” Trib Live, September 27, 2014, http://triblive.com/usworld/nation/6868018-74/group-islamic-british; James Taranto, “The Making - and Unmaking - of a Jihadist,” Wall Street Journal, May 4, 2018, https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-makingand-unmakingof-a-jihadist-1525472372.

Vinas flew to Pakistan in September 2007 with the intention of joining a jihadist group to fight U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.“One American's journey from Long Island to al Qaeda,” CNN, accessed August 17, 2018, http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/05/11/timeline.bryant.vinas/index.html. Vinas later told the New York Times that he had become estranged from his family and had fallen on economic hardship, both of which contributed to his decision to go abroad to join al-Qaeda. He said he believed that he had a moral duty to defend Muslims by joining the war in Afghanistan.Adam Goldman, “He Turned on Al Qaeda and Aided the U.S. Now He’s on Food Stamps and Needs a Job,” New York Times, March 6, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/06/us/politics/bryant-neal-vinas-terrorism-cooperation-fbi-witness-protection.html.

Vinas met Qayyum in Lahore, who connected him to unaffiliated militants fighting on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, according to U.S. officials. They attempted to carry out an attack against a U.S. base in Afghanistan, but aborted the plan after they saw U.S. aircrafts patrolling the area. Following this incident, Vinas vowed to become a suicide bomber for al-Qaeda and returned to Peshawar for training. Between 2007 and 2008, Vinas made several trips to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and officially pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda in March 2008. Throughout 2008, Vinas attended three al-Qaeda training courses in the mountains of Waziristan, including training in the construction of explosives.“One American's journey from Long Island to al Qaeda,” CNN, accessed August 17, 2018, http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/05/11/timeline.bryant.vinas/index.html. He met senior al-Qaeda leaders, including financial chief Mustafa Abu al-Yazid (a.k.a. Abu Saeed al-Masri) and Saleh al-Somali, then head of al-Qaeda’s external operations and planner of the 2009 foiled New York City subway attack.“Senior al Qaeda leader killed in Pakistan,” Reuters, August 12, 2008, https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSSP48519; Eric Schmitt, “American Strike Is Said to Kill a Top Qaeda,” New York Times, May 31, 2010, https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/01/world/asia/01qaeda.html; U.S. Department of Justice/Office of Public Affairs, “Al Qaeda Operative Convicted by Jury in One of the Most Serious Terrorist Plots Against America since 9/11,” May 1, 2012, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/al-qaeda-operative-convicted-jury-one-most-serious-terrorist-plots-against-america-911. According to Vinas’s own statements, he provided information to the terror group about the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) in order to help plan an attack on New York’s Penn Station.“One American's journey from Long Island to al Qaeda,” CNN, accessed September 2, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/05/11/timeline.bryant.vinas/index.html; Adam Goldman, “Service to Both Al Qaeda and U.S., With Fate Hanging in the Balance,” New York Times, May 15, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/15/us/politics/service-to-both-al-qaeda-and-us-and-a-fate-hanging-in-the-balance.html. He also suggested attacking one of the United States’ largest retail chains, Walmart. He conspired to hide explosives in large products that could be returned to the store, such as television sets.Paul Cruickshank, Nic Robertson, and Ken Shiffman, “The Radicalization of an all-American,” CNN, May 15, 2010, http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/05/13/bryant.neal.vinas.part1/.

Vinas later recalled that he suffered from “terrible boredom” while living with al-Qaeda waiting for a mission.Bryant Neal Vinas and Mitchell Silber, “Al-Qa`ida’s First American Foreign Fighter after 9/11,” CTC Sentinel, September 2018, https://ctc.usma.edu/al-qaidas-first-american-foreign-fighter-9-11/. In September 2008, Vinas participated in two al-Qaeda attacks against U.S. military bases in Afghanistan near the Pakistan border. According to Vinas, he and other militants aborted the first mission. In the second attack, occurring a few days later, Vinas fired rockets on a U.S. military base. The rockets reportedly missed their intended target, and, according to Vinas, the “attack failed.”“Sealed Pages of Transcript Proceedings,” Nicholas G. Garaufis, U.S.D.J., January 28, 2009, p. 31.

The following month, Vinas traveled to Peshawar to find a wife. He was arrested there by Pakistani authorities and transferred to the control of the United States. U.S. authorities charged Vinas with conspiracy to murder U.S. nationals, providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, and receiving military-type training from a foreign terrorist organization.“One American's journey from Long Island to al Qaeda,” CNN, accessed September 2, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/05/11/timeline.bryant.vinas/index.html. He pled guilty to all charges in a federal court on January 29, 2009.“One American's journey from Long Island to al Qaeda,” CNN, accessed September 2, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/05/11/timeline.bryant.vinas/index.html.

In April 2012, Vinas revealed that he had been inspired by the lectures of Anwar al-Awlaki, the deceased cleric of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). Vinas made this confession as he testified at a federal court during the trial of Adis Medunjanin, an accomplice in al-Qaeda’s foiled 2009 New York City subway plot spearheaded by Najibullah Zazi.Phil Hirschkorn, “Homegrown terrorist Bryant Neal Vinas shows his face in Brooklyn ,” CBS News, April 25, 2012, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/homegrown-terrorist-bryant-neal-vinas-shows-his-face-in-brooklyn/;
“Terrorist Plots Targeting New York City,” NYPD, accessed September 4, 2016, http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/pr/plots_targeting_nyc.shtml.

Vinas was released from federal prison in August 2017. During his eight years of incarceration, he cooperated with U.S. authorities and provided useful intelligence to help disrupt al-Qaeda’s activities. He disclosed the plot to attack the LIRR, gave names of jihadist sympathizers living in New York, and provided details on al-Qaeda’s structure, communications systems, training, and tactics. Information provided by Vinas also contained details about al-Qaeda operatives’ housing accommodations and courier networks in the tribal areas of Pakistan.Aaron Cooper and Eric Levenson, “American al Qaeda recruit to be released from prison,” CNN, May 11, 2017, https://www.cnn.com/2017/05/11/us/bryant-neal-vinas-sentence/index.html; Adam Goldman, “Service to Both Al Qaeda and U.S., With Fate Hanging in the Balance,” New York Times, May 15, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/15/us/politics/service-to-both-al-qaeda-and-us-and-a-fate-hanging-in-the-balance.html; Paul Cruickshank, Nic Robertson and Ken Shiffman, “From Long Island to Lahore: The plot to bomb New York,” CNN, May 21, 2010, http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/05/14/bryant.neal.vinas.part2/index.html. Vinas reportedly aided in more than 30 investigations.Adam Goldman, “He Turned on Al Qaeda and Aided the U.S. Now He’s on Food Stamps and Needs a Job,” New York Times, March 6, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/06/us/politics/bryant-neal-vinas-terrorism-cooperation-fbi-witness-protection.html. A senior U.S. counterterrorism official told CNN in 2010 that Vinas had provided “priceless information.”Paul Cruickshank, “Lawyers call for release of US terrorist who helped ‘dismantle’ al Qaeda,” CNN, May 6, 2017, https://www.cnn.com/2017/05/06/us/bryant-vinas-sentencing/index.html.

According to the transcript of Vinas’s May 2017 sentencing hearing, “The Government reports that the information has been truthful, complete, and accurate and was critical in identifying new leads and targets for investigation and supplementing and correcting the Government’s understanding of al-Qaeda.”“Transcript of Vinas’s Sentencing Hearing”, New York Times, May 15, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/05/15/us/document-Vinas-Sentencing-Transcript.html. Vinas told the court that he wanted to pursue a career in counterterrorism.Paul Cruickshank, “Lawyers call for release of US terrorist who helped ‘dismantle’ al Qaeda,” CNN, May 6, 2017, https://www.cnn.com/2017/05/06/us/bryant-vinas-sentencing/index.html. Vinas was sentenced to time served and three additional months in prison to be followed by supervised release.Adam Goldman, “Service to Both Al Qaeda and the U.S., With Fate Hanging in the Balance,” New York Times, May 15, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/15/us/politics/service-to-both-al-qaeda-and-us-and-a-fate-hanging-in-the-balance.html?module=inline.

Vinas’s attorney, federal prosecutors, and the FBI agents assigned to his case sought witness protection for Vinas. Despite the support, the Justice Department’s Office of Enforcement Operations rejected Vinas’s application for witness protection. According to a senior government official quoted by the New York Times, there were concerns of potential conflict with officers in charge of the program and that Vinas would not adapt to the program. Vinas currently lives in New York City under close U.S. government supervision.Adam Goldman, “He Turned on Al Qaeda and Aided the U.S. Now He’s on Food Stamps and Needs a Job,” New York Times, March 6, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/06/us/politics/bryant-neal-vinas-terrorism-cooperation-fbi-witness-protection.html. Vinas co-authored a piece with CEP advisory board member Mitchell Silber in the September 2018 issue of the CTC Sentinel about the former’s radicalization and rehabilitation.Bryant Neal Vinas and Mitchell Silber, “Al-Qa’ida’s First American Foreign Fighter after 9/11,” CTC Sentinel, September 2018, https://ctc.usma.edu/al-qaidas-first-american-foreign-fighter-9-11/.

<p>Abdel Hameed Shehadeh is an American citizen of Palestinian descent convicted of lying to the FBI in a terrorism investigation.<span class="footnote">&ldquo;Staten Island Man Convicted Of Making False Statements In A Matter Involving International Terrorism,&rdquo; U.S. Department of Justice, March 25, 2013, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/staten-island-man-convicted-making… Secret, &ldquo;Staten Island Man Is Convicted of Lying About Plans to Join Terrorists,&rdquo; <em>New York Times</em>, March 25, 2013, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/nyregion/staten-island-man-convicted-…; In June 2008, he was denied entry into Pakistan after flying there from the United States in order to join a jihadist group. Shehadeh later attempted to join the U.S. Army so that he could travel to Iraq and join the anti-U.S. jihad, according to U.S. authorities. Shehadeh told the FBI in various subsequent interviews that he wanted to fight alongside foreign jihadist groups. He received a 13-year prison sentence in September 2013.<span class="footnote">“Staten Island Man Sentenced To 13 Years In Prison For Making False Statements In A Matter Involving International Terrorism,&rdquo; U.S. Department of Justice, September 20, 2013, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/staten-island-man-sentenced-13-yea…;

<p>Starting in 2008, Shehadeh maintained personal websites that glorified violent jihad as well as top <a href="http://www.counterextremism.com/threat/al-qaeda">al-Qaeda</a&gt; leaders, including Osama bin Laden and the late American-born <a href="http://www.counterextremism.com/threat/al-qaeda-arabian-peninsula-aqap"… in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)</a> cleric <a href="http://www.counterextremism.com/extremists/anwar-al-awlaki">Anwar al-Awlaki</a>.<span class="footnote">Mosi Secret, &ldquo;Staten Island Man Is Convicted of Lying About Plans to Join Terrorists,&rdquo; <em>New York Times</em>, March 25, 2013, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/nyregion/staten-island-man-convicted-…; According to the FBI, Shehadeh&rsquo;s now-defunct jihad-themed websites included www.sunnah101.com, www.civiljihad.com, and www.mymakkah.com.<span class="footnote">&ldquo;United States of America v. Abdel Hameed Shehadeh, also known as &lsquo;Abdul-Qasim,&rsquo; &lsquo;Abul-Qasim Ibn Abu Muhammad,&rsquo; &lsquo;Sunnah10&rsquo; and &lsquo;Abu Baheera,&rsquo; Defendant,&rdquo; U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, October 21, 2010, 5.</span> Civiljihad.com reportedly linked to Awlaki&rsquo;s online lectures and blogs, as well as a directory of &ldquo;Jihad magazines.&rdquo; According to a member of the New York Police Department, the site featured an image of a man holding a sign that read &ldquo;JIHAD IS OUR WAY.&rdquo;<span class="footnote">&ldquo;United States of America v. Abdel Hameed Shehadeh, also known as &lsquo;Abdul-Qasim,&rsquo; &lsquo;Abul-Qasim Ibn Abu Muhammad,&rsquo; &lsquo;Sunnah10&rsquo; and &lsquo;Abu Baheera,&rsquo; Defendant,&rdquo; U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, October 21, 2010, 10.</span> Shehadeh&rsquo;s mymakkah.com site also featured a &ldquo;jihad&rdquo; section featuring a speech by al-Qaeda leader <a href="http://www.counterextremism.com/extremists/ayman-al-zawahiri">Ayman al-Zawahiri</a> and audio recording of Awlaki.<span class="footnote">&ldquo;United States of America v. Abdel Hameed Shehadeh, also known as &lsquo;Abdul-Qasim,&rsquo; &lsquo;Abul-Qasim Ibn Abu Muhammad,&rsquo; &lsquo;Sunnah10&rsquo; and &lsquo;Abu Baheera,&rsquo; Defendant,&rdquo; U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, October 21, 2010, 6-7.</span> Shehadeh also maintained a YouTube account under the name &ldquo;Sunna101.&rdquo; Shehadeh used the account to post jihadist videos, including one titled &ldquo;Benefits of Jihad in Our Times.&rdquo;<span class="footnote">&ldquo;United States of America v. Abdel Hameed Shehadeh, also known as &lsquo;Abdul-Qasim,&rsquo; &lsquo;Abul-Qasim Ibn Abu Muhammad,&rsquo; &lsquo;Sunnah10&rsquo; and &lsquo;Abu Baheera,&rsquo; Defendant,&rdquo; U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, October 21, 2010, 5.</span></p>

<p>In June 2008, Shehadeh attempted to travel to Pakistan, but was barred by Pakistani authorities and sent back to the United States.<span class="footnote">&ldquo;Staten Island Man Convicted Of Making False Statements In A Matter Involving International Terrorism,&rdquo; U.S. Department of Justice, March 25, 2013, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/staten-island-man-convicted-making…; According to U.S. officials, Shehadeh intended to join the <a href="http://www.counterextremism.com/threat/taliban">Taliban</a&gt; or a similar group in Pakistan.<span class="footnote">&ldquo;Hawaii Resident Charged with Making False Statements in a Matter Involving International Terrorism,&rdquo; U.S. Department of Justice, October 26, 2010.</span> Upon his return to the United States, Shehadeh attempted to enlist in the U.S. Army at a recruiting station in New York City. According to the U.S. Attorney&rsquo;s Office, Shehadeh intended to &ldquo;deploy overseas, where he would commit treason by defecting and fighting alongside insurgent forces.&rdquo; The Army denied Shehadeh&rsquo;s application upon discovering that he had concealed his trip to Pakistan during the recruitment process.<span class="footnote">&ldquo;Staten Island Man Convicted Of Making False Statements In A Matter Involving International Terrorism,&rdquo; U.S. Department of Justice, March 25, 2013, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/staten-island-man-convicted-making…;

<p>Shehadeh flew to Jordan in October 2008, but was denied entry at the airport in Amman. Upon his return to the United States, authorities discovered that Shehadeh had torn out the page of his passport containing the Pakistani visa stamp. Authorities also questioned Shehadeh on his jihadist-themed websites. Shehadeh confirmed that his civiljihad.com website was designed to &ldquo;mirror and reformat&rdquo; Awlaki&rsquo;s teachings, according to the FBI. He also said that he had written to Awlaki several times without a response.<span class="footnote">&ldquo;United States of America v. Abdel Hameed Shehadeh, also known as &lsquo;Abdul-Qasim,&rsquo; &lsquo;Abul-Qasim Ibn Abu Muhammad,&rsquo; &lsquo;Sunnah10&rsquo; and &lsquo;Abu Baheera,&rsquo; Defendant,&rdquo; U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, October 21, 2010, 9.</span></p>

<p>Shehadeh belonged to the New York-based group Revolution Muslim, led by Jesse Morton, a.k.a. Younus Abdullah Muhammad. The group&rsquo;s members advocated the creation of an Islamic state based on sharia (Islamic law). Morton pled guilty in February 2012 to conspiring to solicit murder and using the Internet &ldquo;to place others in fear.&rdquo;<span class="footnote">&ldquo;Leader of Revolution Muslim Pleads Guilty to Using Internet to Solicit Murder and Encourage Violent Extremism,&rdquo; FBI, February 9, 2012, <a href="https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/washingtondc/press-releases/2012/lead…; He also admitted to encouraging violence against the writers of the television show <em>South Park </em>because they had featured the Islamic prophet Muhammad in a bear suit, and planned to depict him in a future episode<em>.</em> Morton admitted to authorities that he had communicated with AQAP propagandist <a href="https://www.counterextremism.com/extremists/samir-khan">Samir Khan</a>, who was killed alongside Awlaki in 2011. Shehadeh purportedly regularly attended Revolution Muslim meetings and linked to Revolution Muslim&rsquo;s website on civiljihad.com.<span class="footnote">Jason Ryan, Pierre, Thomas, and Richard Esposito, &ldquo;New York Man Guilty in &lsquo;South Park&rsquo; Murder Threat,&rdquo; ABC News, February 9, 2012, <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/york-man-guilty-south-park-murder-threat/… States of America v. Abdel Hameed Shehadeh, also known as &lsquo;Abdul-Qasim,&rsquo; &lsquo;Abul-Qasim Ibn Abu Muhammad,&rsquo; &lsquo;Sunnah10&rsquo; and &lsquo;Abu Baheera,&rsquo; Defendant,&rdquo; U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, October 21, 2010, 7.</span></p>

<p>FBI and NYPD officers met with three witnesses while investigating Shehadeh between 2008 and 2009. According to one witness, Shehadeh believed that American Muslims had a duty to travel to Muslim nations &ldquo;at war&rdquo; in order to fight alongside those Muslims. Another witness claimed that Shehadeh had expressed interest in traveling to Pakistan to wage jihad, and that he had attempted to join the Army in order to go to Iraq to fight in the jihad there.<span class="footnote">&ldquo;United States of America v. Abdel Hameed Shehadeh, also known as &lsquo;Abdul-Qasim,&rsquo; &lsquo;Abul-Qasim Ibn Abu Muhammad,&rsquo; &lsquo;Sunnah10&rsquo; and &lsquo;Abu Baheera,&rsquo; Defendant,&rdquo; U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, October 21, 2010, 11-12.</span> A third witness told the FBI that Shehadeh had tried to convince him to go to Yemen to learn Arabic &ldquo;on the battlefield.&rdquo;<span class="footnote">&ldquo;United States of America v. Abdel Hameed Shehadeh, also known as &lsquo;Abdul-Qasim,&rsquo; &lsquo;Abul-Qasim Ibn Abu Muhammad,&rsquo; &lsquo;Sunnah10&rsquo; and &lsquo;Abu Baheera,&rsquo; Defendant,&rdquo; U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, October 21, 2010, 14-15.</span></p>

<p>Shehadeh traveled to Hawaii in April 2009 with the intent of traveling to Somalia via Dubai, United Arab Emirates.<span class="footnote">&ldquo;United States of America v. Abdel Hameed Shehadeh, also known as &lsquo;Abdul-Qasim,&rsquo; &lsquo;Abul-Qasim Ibn Abu Muhammad,&rsquo; &lsquo;Sunnah10&rsquo; and &lsquo;Abu Baheera,&rsquo; Defendant,&rdquo; U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, October 21, 2010, 13-14.</span> In June 2009, the day before he was scheduled to fly to Dubai, the FBI warned Shehadeh that he had been placed on the no-fly list.<span class="footnote">&ldquo;United States of America v. Abdel Hameed Shehadeh, also known as &lsquo;Abdul-Qasim,&rsquo; &lsquo;Abul-Qasim Ibn Abu Muhammad,&rsquo; &lsquo;Sunnah10&rsquo; and &lsquo;Abu Baheera,&rsquo; Defendant,&rdquo; U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, October 21, 2010, 14.</span> When Shehadeh tried to convince the FBI to remove him from the list in February 2010, FBI agents led him to believe that the FBI was using him as an informant.<span class="footnote">&ldquo;United States of America v. Abdel Hameed Shehadeh, also known as &lsquo;Abdul-Qasim,&rsquo; &lsquo;Abul-Qasim Ibn Abu Muhammad,&rsquo; &lsquo;Sunnah10&rsquo; and &lsquo;Abu Baheera,&rsquo; Defendant,&rdquo; U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, October 21, 2010, 15.</span> In interviews with the FBI over the proceeding months, Shehadeh described how his own radicalization mirrored that of other young Muslim Americans who desired to exact revenge on&mdash;or in his words, &ldquo;get back&rdquo; at&mdash;the United States. He also said that if he had been allowed into Pakistan he would have traveled to the north because he wanted &ldquo;to see the different jihadist groups, including the Taliban,&rdquo; according to the criminal complaint filed against him.<span class="footnote">&ldquo;United States of America v. Abdel Hameed Shehadeh, also known as &lsquo;Abdul-Qasim,&rsquo; &lsquo;Abul-Qasim Ibn Abu Muhammad,&rsquo; &lsquo;Sunnah10&rsquo; and &lsquo;Abu Baheera,&rsquo; Defendant,&rdquo; U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, October 21, 2010, 15-16.</span></p>

<p>Shehadeh was arrested in Honolulu, Hawaii, on October 22, 2010.<span class="footnote">&ldquo;Leader of Revolution Muslim Pleads Guilty to Using Internet to Solicit Murder and Encourage Violent Extremism,&rdquo; FBI, February 9, 2012, <a href="https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/washingtondc/press-releases/2012/lead… Resident Charged with Making False Statements in a Matter Involving International Terrorism,&rdquo; U.S. Department of Justice, October 26, 2010.</span> In March 2013, he was convicted of making false statements in a matter of international terrorism.<span class="footnote">&ldquo;Staten Island Man Convicted Of Making False Statements In A Matter Involving International Terrorism,&rdquo; U.S. Department of Justice, March 25, 2013, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/staten-island-man-convicted-making…; He was sentenced to 13 years in prison that September.<span class="footnote">&ldquo;Staten Island Man Sentenced To 13 Years In Prison For Making False Statements In A Matter Involving International Terrorism,&rdquo; U.S. Department of Justice, September 20, 2013, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/staten-island-man-sentenced-13-yea…;

<p>According to then-U.S. attorney Loretta Lynch, &ldquo;Time and again, Shehadeh sought to travel overseas to wage violent jihad against U.S. military forces, going so far as to attempt to infiltrate the U.S. Army. When confronted with his attempts to join a terrorist group and kill American soldiers, he repeatedly lied about his actions and his intentions.&rdquo;<span class="footnote">&ldquo;Staten Island Man Convicted Of Making False Statements In A Matter Involving International Terrorism,&rdquo; U.S. Department of Justice, March 25, 2013, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/staten-island-man-convicted-making…;

<p>In late April 2020, Shehadeh wrote to a federal judge in Brooklyn, New York, saying &ldquo;I was a naive, gullible 18-year-old at the time of my indicted actions,&rdquo; and asked to be released from prison in order to avoid contracting COVID-19. His request was denied.<span class="footnote">Noah Goldberg, &ldquo;Staten Island man convicted of lying to feds about jihad plans wants to get out of prison to avoid coronavirus,&rdquo; <em>NY Daily News</em>, May 8, 2020, <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/coronavirus/ny-coronavirus-staten-island-ma…;

Akram I. Musleh is a U.S. citizen who stands accused of providing material support to ISIS after he pledged allegiance to the terror group and sought to join ISIS abroad. Since at least 2013, Musleh used social media to watch and disseminate videos of deceased al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, according to court documents.U.S. District Court Southern District of Indiana, “United States of America v. Akram I. Musleh Criminal Complaint,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 21, 2016, 4-5, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Musleh%20Complaint.pdf. The FBI arrested then-18-year-old Musleh in June 2016 as he boarded a bus from Indianapolis to New York, allegedly in preparation to fly to ISIS-held territory in Libya.“Indiana Man Arrested on Terrorism Charge,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 21, 2016 https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/indiana-man-arrested-terrorism-charge. Musleh pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to ISIS in May 2018,“United States of America v. Akram I. Musleh: Petition to Enter Plea of Guilty and Plea Agreement,” United States District Court – Southern District of Indiana Indianapolis Division, May 14, 2018, https://extremism.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs2191/f/MuslehPleaAgreement.pdf. and in June 2019, he was sentenced to eight years and four months in federal prison.“Brownsburg Man Sentenced in Terrorism Case: Man Convicted of Attempting to Travel to Join ISIS,” U.S. Attorney’s Office – Southern District of Indiana, June 24, 2019, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdin/pr/brownsburg-man-sentenced-terrorism-case.

The FBI started monitoring Musleh in August 2013 after he used the handle “akram165” to upload three al-Awlaki videos to YouTube. That December, the FBI met with Musleh and officials from Musleh’s high school. During the meeting, Musleh admitted that a family member had recommended he watch al-Awlaki’s videos. Musleh said he knew al-Awlaki’s “history,” but watched the videos to learn more about Islam. The FBI and Musleh’s high school took unspecified “steps to dissuade” Musleh from Islamic extremism, according to the criminal complaint filed against him.U.S. District Court Southern District of Indiana, “United States of America v. Akram I. Musleh Criminal Complaint,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 21, 2016, 5, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Musleh%20Complaint.pdf. During an FBI search of Musleh’s checked luggage after his June 2016 arrest, agents discovered a journal containing quotes by Anwar al-Awlaki, deceased al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, former al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab Zarqawi, and al-Qaeda co-founder Abdullah Azzam.U.S. District Court Southern District of Indiana, “United States of America v. Akram I. Musleh Criminal Complaint,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 21, 2016, 8, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Musleh%20Complaint.pdf.

Musleh allegedly used multiple social media platforms to praise ISIS and communicate with the group’s members. According to the criminal complaint filed against him, Musleh used mobile messaging apps, including Kik, to communicate with ISIS operatives. He also allegedly spoke with an FBI “confidential human source” (CHS) about hijrah (immigration) to ISIS-held territory. Musleh allegedly told the CHS that he had pledged allegiance to ISIS, and that he wished to travel to Libya to join ISIS there. Musleh and the alleged ISIS members discussed life in the so-called caliphate, including the salaries of ISIS fighters. One ISIS member allegedly suggested that Musleh carry out “operations” against U.S. military targets in Florida.U.S. District Court Southern District of Indiana, “United States of America v. Akram I. Musleh Criminal Complaint,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 21, 2016, 9-27, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Musleh%20Complaint.pdf.

Image allegedly posted to Musleh’s social media profile on May 15, 2016.

Federal agents searched Musleh’s phone in late May 2016 and discovered several files referencing “jihad, martyrdom,” and ISIS, including multiple issues of ISIS’s Dabiq magazine and al-Qaeda’s Inspire magazine. In addition, the agents found a collection of audio files labeled “Anwar Al-Awlaki\All Of The Lectures From The Best Scholar Ever.” The phone also contained photos of Musleh raising one finger in the ISIS salute.U.S. District Court Southern District of Indiana, “United States of America v.Akram I. Musleh Criminal Complaint,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 21, 2016, 22-25, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Musleh%20Complaint.pdf. A YouTube account—believed to be operated by Musleh and active as of June 2016—contains al-Awlaki’s videos.Akram Musleh YouTube account, accessed June 23, 2016, https://www.youtube.com/user/akram165/about.

Image allegedly posted to Musleh’s social media profile on May 15, 2016.

Between spring 2015 and June 2016, Musleh purchased several plane tickets to Middle Eastern and African countries—including Iraq—in order to join ISIS. Musleh allegedly attempted to fly to Istanbul in June 2015, telling customs officials that he was visiting family. He later allegedly changed his story, claiming that he was getting married and would meet his fiancée and family at the airport. Customs officials barred Musleh from flying due to his passport’s impending expiration date. The FBI later discovered that Musleh had no family in Turkey and his so-called “fiancée” was likely a Swedish-based ISIS sympathizer.U.S. District Court Southern District of Indiana, “United States of America v.Akram I. Musleh Criminal Complaint,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 21, 2016, 7-8, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Musleh%20Complaint.pdf. In April 2015, police in Brownsburg, Indiana, responded to a call claiming that a group of people in a park were promoting ISIS to teenagers. The FBI later determined Musleh was part of that group.U.S. District Court Southern District of Indiana, “United States of America v.Akram I. Musleh Criminal Complaint,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 21, 2016, 6, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Musleh%20Complaint.pdf.

FBI agents arrested Musleh in Indianapolis on June 23, 2016, as he was boarding a New York City-bound Greyhound bus to reach John F. Kennedy International Airport.U.S. District Court Southern District of Indiana, “United States of America v.Akram I. Musleh Criminal Complaint,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 21, 2016, 27-28, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Musleh%20Complaint.pdf. Musleh allegedly intended to fly to Morocco and then continue on to ISIS-held territory in Libya.“Indiana Man Arrested on Terrorism Charge,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 21, 2016 https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/indiana-man-arrested-terrorism-charge.

The FBI charged Musleh with providing material support to a terrorist organization. On August 15, 2016, he was formally indicted on the charge of attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Musleh faced a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison followed by supervised release, as well as a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted.“Indiana teen indicted on terrorism charge, accused of attempting to join ISIS,” Fox59 WEB, September 14, 2016, http://fox59.com/2016/09/14/indiana-teen-indicted-on-terrorism-charge-accused-of-attempting-to-join-isis/;
Jacob Burbrink, “Southern Indiana man indicted on terrorism charge,” ABC 21 Alive, September 14, 2016, http://www.21alive.com/nbc33/Southern-Indiana-man-indicted-on-terrorism-charge-393463301.html.

On May 23, 2018, Musleh pleaded guilty in federal court to “attempting to provide material support or resources” to ISIS.“United States of America v. Akram I. Musleh: Petition to Enter Plea of Guilty and Plea Agreement,” United States District Court – Southern District of Indiana Indianapolis Division, May 14, 2018, https://extremism.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs2191/f/MuslehPleaAgreement.pdf; Mark Alesia, “Brownsburg Man, 20, Pleads Guilty to Trying to Join Terrorist Group ISIS,” Indianapolis Star, May 23, 2018,  https://www.indystar.com/story/news/2018/05/23/brownsburg-man-pleads-guilty-trying-join-isis-terrorist-group/638665002/. On June 21, 2019, he was sentenced to eight years and four months in federal prison, followed by 11 years and eight months of post-release supervision.“Brownsburg Man Sentenced in Terrorism Case: Man Convicted of Attempting to Travel to Join ISIS,” U.S. Attorney’s Office – Southern District of Indiana, June 24, 2019, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdin/pr/brownsburg-man-sentenced-terrorism-case; “Indiana Man Gets More Than 8 years in Prison in Terror Case,” Associated Press, June 21, 2019, https://apnews.com/article/a2082ddd4003496aad3efb79be598ba0. He is currently incarcerated at Gilmore Federal Correctional Institute in West Virginia, with a scheduled release date of August 11, 2023.“AKRAM I MUSLEH,” Find an Inmate – Federal Bureau of Prisons, accessed March 9, 2021, https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/.