In a chilling development, the FBI has arrested Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, an Afghan national with ties to the CIA, for allegedly plotting an Election Day terrorist attack inspired by ISIS. Tawhedi, who worked as a security guard for the CIA in Afghanistan, was apprehended in Oklahoma City earlier this week. Federal prosecutors claim that he had been preparing for an attack, stockpiling weapons and planning to carry out his plot on the day of the upcoming U.S. elections.
The arrest followed an investigation in which federal law enforcement agents, using a confidential human source (CHS), secretly communicated with Tawhedi and his co-conspirators. According to the FBI, Tawhedi had acquired two Kalashnikov rifles and ordered 500 rounds of ammunition, making it clear in online messages that he was preparing for violence.
“What do you think, brother? Is it enough or should we increase it?” Tawhedi allegedly asked in a Telegram message, referring to his purchase of the weapons and ammunition, according to CBS News.
The details of the plot were revealed through the FBI’s surveillance and communication with Tawhedi, who spoke candidly about his intentions. He reportedly mentioned that the sale of his father-in-law’s house had yielded $185,000 and that the funds would be available by mid-October. With the money, Tawhedi planned to move his family, including his wife, their daughter, and several relatives, to Afghanistan before launching the attack. One-way plane tickets had already been purchased for October 17, when his family was set to leave the U.S.
“After that we will begin our duty, God willing, with the help of God, we will get ready for the Election Day,” Tawhedi wrote, confirming his plans to act once his family was safely out of the country.
Tawhedi’s ties to the CIA and his entry into the U.S. are raising serious questions. After the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, which left many Afghans scrambling for safety, Tawhedi was brought to the U.S. under a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program. The Biden-Harris administration’s evacuation of thousands of Afghan refugees during the withdrawal has been widely criticized for failing to properly vet many of the individuals granted entry into the U.S., and Tawhedi appears to have been among those who entered without sufficient screening.
On September 9, 2021, just one month after the botched U.S. exit from Afghanistan, Tawhedi arrived in the U.S. as part of this influx of refugees. His arrest highlights ongoing concerns about the vetting process used during the withdrawal, particularly in relation to individuals with potential extremist ties. An Inspector General’s report in September 2022 confirmed that many Afghan refugees brought into the U.S. after the withdrawal were not properly vetted, a failure that has now led to serious security concerns.
Tawhedi’s involvement in a terror plot, despite his previous employment as a CIA security guard, raises further alarm about the extent of his radicalization. Federal investigators are currently examining whether Tawhedi was radicalized before arriving in the U.S. or after he had already settled here. His rapid shift from working for the U.S. government to plotting an attack on U.S. soil points to deeper challenges in identifying and preventing such threats.
The news of Tawhedi’s arrest has drawn significant media attention, particularly as the details of his background have come to light. Journalists Dan De Luce and Courtney Kube of NBC were among the first to report that the accused terrorist had worked as a CIA security guard during his time in Afghanistan. Their reporting has sparked further concerns about how someone with such close ties to U.S. intelligence operations could become involved in an ISIS-inspired terror plot.
“Tawhedi entered the U.S. as one of Joe Biden’s unvetted refugees from Afghanistan,” NBC reported, adding fuel to the already intense criticism surrounding the Biden administration’s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal. Critics argue that the rushed evacuation and lax vetting procedures have led to dangerous individuals entering the country, with Tawhedi being the most recent example of this failure.
The issue of unvetted Afghan refugees has been a point of contention since 2021. At the time, there were reports that individuals without proper identification or background checks were allowed to board planes to the U.S., while Afghans with valid papers were left behind in the chaos. The Taliban’s involvement in the vetting process further undermined confidence in the security measures put in place during the withdrawal.
Tawhedi’s arrest underscores the potential dangers posed by individuals who may have slipped through the cracks during this period. His plot to carry out an Election Day terror attack has shaken many Americans, particularly as the country prepares for a contentious election cycle in 2024.
As the investigation continues, federal authorities will focus on uncovering more details about Tawhedi’s radicalization, his connections to other extremists, and how he managed to evade detection for so long. His case serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing threats posed by terrorism, even from individuals who were once considered allies of the U.S. government.
