A group of Republican senators, led by Rand Paul, ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, sent a letter last week to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas asking him to investigate two Afghan nationals arrested earlier this month for suspected links to a terrorist plot. .
Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, was arrested earlier this month by the FBI in Oklahoma and charged with multiple crimes, including conspiracy and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State (ISIS). One other person, a minor, was also arrested over the election day plot.
Tawhedi has been legally residing in the United States since September 9, 2021, after being granted special conditional permission to enter the country during Operation Allies Refuge following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
“After entering the United States, Tawhedi promoted ISIS propaganda, sent money to known charities affiliated with ISIS support networks, and liquidated all assets to purchase weapons; the remaining funds were intended for the ISIS treasury,” the senators said. wrote. “This alarming incident adds to a growing list of similar security breaches, raising serious concerns about the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) ability to effectively protect our homeland.”
The group of Republicans, which consists of Sens. Rick Scott of Florida, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Paul of Kentucky and Roger Marshall of Kansas, asked Mayorkas and the Department of Homeland Security for all records and information about Tawhedi and the minor’s immigration status. and criminal history.
They also requested all communications between federal departments and agencies about the couple, including information from their Terrorist Screening Data Set.
“The screening and vetting processes under the Biden-Harris administration are clearly failing, allowing criminals and individuals with terrorist ties to exploit vulnerabilities in the system,” the letter said. “Given the significant threat to American lives, it is imperative that we receive detailed information to fully understand the scope of these problems.”
The charging documents allege that Tawhedi attempted to purchase semi-automatic firearms and ammunition to carry out the attack, and even had plans to resettle his family abroad ahead of the planned November 5 attack.
It is not clear where the attack allegedly took place, but Tawhedi is said to have googled “How do I get access to Washington DC cameras” and “Which US state doesn’t need relationships to get a firearm?” and visited the White House webcams and the Washington Monument in July. Tawhedi also told researchers they wanted to target “large gatherings of people.”
The senators requested the information on Tawhedi by November 8, just three days after the election, but also urged the department to respond more quickly if possible.
Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. That’s possible follow her on X for more coverage.