Zada, 19, holds a lawful permanent residency in the United States. Zada and his co-conspirator, 28-year-old Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi—another Afghan national—had received two AK-47-style rifles and 500 rounds of ammunition to carry out the attack, the department said.
The attack was to be carried out on behalf of ISIS.
However, Zada and his co-conspirator were arrested in October 2024 before they could fulfill the plan, according to the DOJ.
In April, Zada entered a guilty plea. District Judge Scott L. Palk sentenced Zada to 15 years in prison on Nov. 19 for “knowingly receiving, attempting to receive, and conspiring to receive a firearm and ammunition to be used to commit a federal crime of terrorism,” the DOJ said.
Zada has a judicial order of removal from the United States back to his home nation once the incarceration period ends. He has waived his right to appeal the conviction.
“Zada was welcomed into the United States and provided with all the opportunities available to residents of our Nation, yet he chose to embrace terrorism and plot an ISIS-inspired attack on Election Day,” said John A. Eisenberg, assistant attorney general for National Security.
“Today’s sentence, and Zada’s eventual removal from the United States, reflect the seriousness of his betrayal and our commitment to using every tool at our disposal to detect and disrupt such plots.”
Prior to his arrest, he had made preparations for the November election attack, including resettling his relatives in other nations and liquidating assets held by his family.
Threats to America
Tawhedi communicated with an ISIS facilitator about his plan to buy firearms to use in the terror attack, according to a June 13 statement from the DOJ. He also enquired whether 500 rounds of ammunition would be enough to carry out the deed.Tawhedi pleaded guilty to two terror-related offenses in June—conspiring and attempting to provide material support and resources to ISIS; and receiving, attempting to receive, and conspiring to receive firearms and ammunition to conduct terror activities.
“Let this serve as notice to anyone who tries to conduct attacks in our homeland for ISIS or any other terror group: we will find you and you’ll face American justice,” FBI Director Kash Patel said at the time.
Tawhedi is facing a maximum prison sentence of 20 years for the material support charge and up to 15 years for the firearms count.
According to the latest DOJ statement, a sentencing date for Tawhedi has not been set.
These groups have leveraged conflicts in the Middle East to reaffirm such intent and retain worldwide networks of supporters that could pose a threat to America, the report said.
Media outlets backed by these outfits “promote violent rhetoric intended to inspire US persons to mobilize to violence, while foreign terrorists continue engaging online supporters to solicit funds; create and share media; and encourage followers to attack the Homeland, US interests, and what they perceive as the West,” according to the report.
“ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K)—ISIS’s regional branch in Afghanistan and Pakistan—has been increasingly active outside of Afghanistan this year and will likely try to capitalize on its notable 2024 attacks in Iran and Russia to recruit followers in the Homeland and the West, as well as inspire individuals to mobilize to violence,” it states.
