An Afghan national previously employed as a security guard for the CIA in Afghanistan was arrested in Oklahoma City for allegedly planning a terrorist attack targeting Election Day activities, according to two sources who spoke with NBC News. The individual, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, is charged with plotting a suicide mission aimed at causing mass casualties, purportedly in the name of the Islamic State, as per a criminal complaint disclosed this Tuesday.

According to the complaint, Tawhedi liquidated his family’s assets to fund the relocation of his relatives from Kabul and enlisted the help of his minor nephew, whose identity remains undisclosed due to his age. The specifics of the attack location were not determined, but Tawhedi allegedly intended to use dual AK-47 rifles and had searched online for access to camera feeds in Washington, D.C., coinciding with his visits to the White House and Washington Monument webcams.

Court records reveal that Tawhedi made contributions to an ISIS-affiliated charity earlier in March and engaged with ISIS propaganda online. It remains unclear whether his radicalization occurred before or after his 2021 arrival in the U.S. However, one senior administration official suggested that Tawhedi became radicalized during his three-year stay in the U.S., a claim still under investigation by the FBI.

View on the city of Kabul, Afghanistan

Tawhedi detailed his plans in alarming specificity during communications with someone he believed was a member of the Islamic State, revealing his readiness to follow any directives. “God willing, with the help of God, we will prepare for Election Day,” he wrote. A law enforcement official, who preferred to remain anonymous due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, indicated that charges against additional individuals could be forthcoming according to The New York Times.

Court records show that Tawhedi arrived in the U.S. in September 2021, just a month following the U.S. military’s turbulent exit from Afghanistan after two decades of conflict. “Every Afghan resettled in the U.S. undergoes a rigorous screening and vetting process no matter which agency they worked with,” a U.S. official stated. “That process includes checking against a full range of U.S. records and holdings,” they added. A senior administration official noted that Tawhedi cleared two separate vetting checks, during which no adverse information was found.

Tawhedi planned to use assault rifles for the attack and aimed to cause mass casualties. He and the juvenile co-conspirator were arrested during a sting operation where FBI agents and informants posed as business associates selling weapons. Tawhedi, who intended to die as a martyr, had purchased rifles, ammunition, and tactical equipment for the operation. Federal agents accessed Tawhedi’s electronic devices, uncovering pro-ISIS propaganda and disturbing imagery, including photos of suicide vests and anti-American material. Tawhedi also shared his plans with individuals he believed to be ISIS members. He described selling property to finance his attack and relocating his family to Afghanistan to live by “pure Islam.”

Christopher Wray has long faced opposition from hardline Republicans as Congress certified President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. (AP pic)

The Department of Homeland Security defended its vetting procedures, stating that Afghan refugees underwent multi-layered screening. However, concerns remain about the effectiveness of these checks, as some officials argue not all evacuees were thoroughly scrutinized during the chaotic withdrawal. FBI Director Christopher Wray said that agents stopped the plot before anyone was harmed.

Tawhedi faces charges of conspiring to provide support to ISIS and acquiring firearms for terrorism, carrying potential sentences of up to 20 and 15 years, respectively. Authorities are investigating if his co-conspirator will face charges and whether any additional accomplices may be involved.