The FBI recently investigated an alleged international murder-for-hire plot targeting a former president at one of his rallies. A 20-year-old individual from Pennsylvania was nearly involved in the assassination attempt. However, investigators have not found evidence linking the individual to a shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania.
US officials revealed that the FBI believes it thwarted the plot before any attack occurred. The individual, identified as Merchant, has been cooperating with investigators since his arrest. The FBI shared intelligence with the US Secret Service, leading to increased security protection for the former president due to known threats from the Iranian government.
US prosecutors disclosed that this plot is part of a series of detailed Iranian plans to allegedly kill the former president. Concerns have been raised by the US government regarding potential retaliation from Iran following the 2020 US drone strike that killed Gen. Qasem Soleimani, a top Iranian general.
Notably, charges have been filed against other individuals in the past for similar assassination attempts, including a recent case involving a 45-year-old Iranian national and IRGC member who allegedly sought to pay for the killing of former national security adviser John Bolton.
Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized that the US will not tolerate attempts by authoritarian regimes to target American public officials and jeopardize national security.
Merchant, a Pakistani national with ties to Iran, arrived in New York City in April with intentions to hire a hitman for carrying out assassinations on US soil. He contacted an individual who later became a confidential source for the FBI, leading to Merchant's arrest before any harm was done.
During meetings with the confidential source and undercover law enforcement officers posing as hitmen, Merchant discussed plans to steal documents, organize protests, and carry out assassinations. He arranged to pay a $5,000 advance for the assassination of a political figure in late August or early September.
Prosecutors revealed that Merchant intended to leave the country before the planned assassination but was apprehended by law enforcement before he could execute his scheme.
