Additional Coverage:
- Justice Department announces the arrest of Afghan national accused of making bomb threats online (cnn.com)
Texas Man Arrested for Alleged Bomb Threats Against Americans
The Department of Justice announced Tuesday the arrest of Mohammad Dawood Alokozay, a 30-year-old Afghan national residing in Texas, on charges of making bomb threats against Americans during an online video chat.
The arrest follows a November 23 video call where Alokozay allegedly threatened to carry out a suicide attack on participants, “infidels,” and Americans. Prosecutors claim Alokozay stated he would construct a bomb using a method favored by the Taliban for improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and expressed his affinity for the group, claiming he came to the United States “to kill those on the call.” The video was brought to the attention of the FBI by other law enforcement agencies.
This arrest comes on the heels of another incident involving an Afghan national accused in the shooting of two National Guard members, one of whom tragically died. Following that shooting, former President Donald Trump advocated for stricter measures to remove immigrants deemed not to “belong here or add benefit to our country.”
Attorney General Pamela Bondi, in a statement Tuesday, criticized the Biden administration, stating that Alokozay “came into America during the Biden administration and as alleged, explicitly stated that he came here in order to kill American citizens.”
The Justice Department has clarified that there is no alleged connection between Alokozay’s arrest and the National Guard shooting. Court filings for Alokozay do not mention the incident involving the National Guard troops.
According to charging documents, Alokozay admitted to investigators that he was the individual in the video and made the threats. He is currently being prosecuted in the Northern District of Texas. Efforts to locate an attorney for Alokozay are ongoing.
This development also coincides with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s recommendation to add at least 10 more countries to the existing US travel ban, which already includes Afghanistan and 18 other nations.