Afghan evacuee accused of making terrorist threats toward Americans

Federal Charges Filed Against Afghan National for Threats

A man from Afghanistan, who arrived in the U.S. during the evacuation efforts from Kabul under the Biden administration, has been indicted on federal charges related to threatening civilians. Mohammad Dawood Alokozai, 30, now residing in Fort Worth, Texas, faced state-level charges last week for making terrorist threats.

On Tuesday, Ryan Raybould, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas, announced that federal charges were brought against Alokozai for making threatening communications across state lines. Allegations include threats to “build a bomb,” execute a “suicide bombing,” and kill Americans. Raybould referenced a video Alokozai supposedly posted on social media where he can be seen gesturing angrily in Dari while on a video call with two other men.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, Alokozai was part of Operation Welcoming Allies, which resettled Afghans after the U.S. pulled its forces from Kabul in August 2021. He became a Lawful Permanent Resident on September 7, 2022.

Recently, both former President Trump and Immigration Services Secretary Joseph Edlow mentioned that they were conducting a review of Lawful Permanent Residents in the wake of another incident involving an Afghan refugee accused of shooting two West Virginia National Guardsmen in D.C.

Details from the indictment reveal that Alokozai purportedly threatened to carry out suicide bombings against participants on the video call and referred to “infidels” and U.S. citizens. He even specified a type of cooking oil container that the Taliban reportedly uses for making improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan.

Alokozai allegedly declared his intent to kill those he was conversing with and planned bombings targeting Americans. He stated he was unafraid of deportation or death in the process.

Attorney General Pam Bondi remarked that Alokozai was clear about his intent to harm American citizens, which raises concerns regarding the Biden administration’s claims about the vetting processes for refugees. She emphasized the serious public safety risks stemming from perceived lapses in scrutiny.

Raybould stated his office maintains a “zero tolerance” policy toward threats against the public, commending the swift action taken by state and federal authorities in apprehending Alokozai. The FBI is also involved, with local office leader R. Joseph Rothrock noting that public reports of the threatening video helped in identifying and arresting the suspect before he could act on his threats.