Pakistani National Charged in Murder-for-Hire Plot Against US Official

Merchant’s plan involved stealing USB drives and documents from a target’s home, planning a protest, and killing a government official, the DOJ said.

The Department of Justice building in Washington on March 28, 2023. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

A Pakistani national has been charged for an alleged terrorist plot to assassinate a government official on U.S. soil.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) reported that law enforcement thwarted the defendant Asif Merchant’s alleged plan before it could be carried out. An indictment against Merchant was filed in federal court on Sept. 10, and he was taken into federal custody.