Three people have been charged in connection with a series of alleged Iran-linked murder plots; one of them was accused of trying to assassinate the president-elect. Donald TrumpOthers targeted an Iranian American activist and two Jewish Americans living in New York, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Friday in New York.

Farhad Shakeri, Carlisle Rivera and Jonathan Loadholt charged with murder for hire US Department of Justice. While Rivera and Loadholt were arrested, Shakeri, whom the FBI describes as an “asset” of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, is believed to be in Tehran.

IRGC took revenge by assigning Shakeri to spy on and kill Trump Death of Qassem SoleimaniThe leader of Iran’s elite Quds Force during a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad in January 2020, according to the complaint.

“There are few actors in the world who pose as serious a threat to the national security of the United States as Iran. The Department of Justice charged that an entity of the Iranian regime was tasked by the regime with directing a network of its accomplices. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement announcing the charges that “Iran, President to further assassination plans against his targets, including Donald J. Trump-elect,” he said.

Shakeri immigrated to the United States but was deported in 2008 after serving time for robbery, according to the Justice Department. While in prison, he met Rivera and Loadholt and recruited them. Targeting an Iranian American activist He lives in Brooklyn, according to the complaint.

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Although not named in the complaint, the activist fits the description of Masih Alinejad, a prolific journalist and human rights activist who is critical of the Iranian government and has been targeted in many conspiracies. federal prosecutors a criminal complaint was filed against the IRGC Brigade last month. General Ruhollah Bazghandi in connection with an alleged murder plot against Alinejad.

Alinejad later shared on social media that he was one of the targets: don’t write“Shocked. Just learned from the @FBI that two men have been arrested in a new plot to kill me at Fairfield University, where I was scheduled to give a speech yesterday.”

The complaint alleges that the IRGC also tasked Shakeri with carrying out other assassinations against US and Israeli citizens living in the US, including Trump.

In mid-to-late September, Shakeri told the FBI that the Revolutionary Guard official instructed him to “set aside his other efforts” and “focus on surveillance and ultimately assassinating former President of the United States Donald J. Trump.” said the complaint. When Shakeri told his handler that it would cost a lot of money, the IRGC official is quoted as saying, “We’ve already spent a lot of money… so money is no problem.”

Shakeri told the FBI that in an Oct. 7 meeting with the Revolutionary Guard chief, he was asked to present a plan to kill Trump within seven days. If it could not be carried out within that timeframe, the IRGC would halt the plan to kill Trump until after the election “because the IRGC Official assessed that (Trump) would lose the election and that it would be easier to assassinate (Trump) afterwards,” the complaint said.

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He also stated that he was assigned to spy on two Jewish-American citizens residing in New York and was offered $500,000 by an IRGC official for the murder of both victims, according to the complaint. The complaint also stated that he was assigned to target Israeli tourists in Sri Lanka.

US Attorney General Damian Williams said in a statement: “Actors directed by the Government of Iran continue to target our citizens, including President-elect Trump, on US soil and abroad. This must end.” he said. “Today’s charges are another message to those who continue their efforts; we will continue to pursue bad actors, no matter where they reside, and will stop at nothing to bring to justice those who harm our safety and security.”

Three men accused of Iran-related murder plots; one targets Donald Trump as revenge for killing Qassem Soleimani: DOJ originally appeared abcnews.go.com