Iran-Backed Assassination Plot Against Trump Unveiled by U.S. Justice Department
On November 8, 2023, the U.S. Justice Department made a shocking announcement, unsealing criminal charges that outline a sinister plot backed by Iran to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump before the recent November 5 election. The federal court complaint filed in New York City accuses an unnamed official of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) of instructing an associate to surveil and ultimately execute Trump.
The charges implicate three individuals, including an Iranian national—identified as Farjad Shakeri—who remains at large and is believed to be hiding in Iran. The other two men, Carlisle Rivera, 49, and Jonathon Loadholt, 36, both from New York City, have made their initial court appearances and are currently detained pending trial.
This dramatic revelation underscores Iran's ongoing efforts to target American citizens, including government officials and outspoken critics of the regime in Tehran. FBI Director Christopher Wray remarked on the issue, stating, "The IRGC has been conspiring with criminals and hitmen to target and gun down Americans on U.S. soil, and that simply won't be tolerated."
The Justice Department's report revealed that Shakeri, who immigrated to the U.S. as a child and was deported in 2008 after serving 14 years for robbery, has since utilized his criminal connections to assist the IRGC in executing surveillance and assassination operations.
Rivera and Loadholt were alleged members of Shakeri's network, reportedly spending months monitoring an unnamed U.S. citizen of Iranian descent who is critical of the Iranian leadership. Shakeri allegedly promised to pay $100,000 in a murder-for-hire plot surrounding this case.
Furthermore, the IRGC had charged Shakeri with planning additional assassinations targeting American and Israeli individuals in the United States. Remarkably, it was revealed that Shakeri was asked to devise a plan to kill President-elect Trump by October 7, 2024. However, when he was unable to produce a draft in the required timeframe, the IRGC official indicated a willingness to pause the operation until after the presidential election, anticipating a loss for Trump which could make the plot easier to execute later.
As for the legal proceedings, Shakeri, Rivera, and Loadholt face multiple charges, including murder-for-hire and conspiracy, each with significant prison penalties. Shakeri is also facing terrorism-related charges. This incident has reignited discussions on the threats posed by foreign regimes and their reach into U.S. territory.
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