Pakistani citizen Asif Merchant has been arrested in connection with an intricate assassination plot targeting Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, according to US Attorney General Merrick Garland’s announcement on Tuesday.
While Garland confirmed that Trump was the intended target, he did not explicitly name him. The charges come amid ongoing efforts by the Justice Department to counteract Iranian attempts at retaliation for the 2020 killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, which was ordered by Trump.
Court documents reveal that Merchant, who is also known as Asif Raza Merchant, had an elaborate plan that involved multiple components: burglarising a target’s home, staging protests and rallies as diversions, and ultimately assassinating the politician.
FBI Chief Christopher Wray described the plot as “dangerous” and “straight out of the Iranian playbook,” highlighting Merchant’s ties to Iran and the detailed nature of the scheme.
Merchant, 46, reportedly has families in both Pakistan and Iran. The plot, detailed in a complaint filed in Brooklyn Federal Court, included plans to steal documents, organise protests, and execute a high-profile assassination. Merchant used code names for each part of the plan — “tee-shirt” for protests, “flannel shirt” for document theft, “fleece jacket” for the assassination, and “yarn-dye” for meetings.
Merchant attempted to recruit what he believed were professional killers but were, in fact, undercover FBI agents. He provided $5,000 as a down payment and discussed scenarios for the assassination. He was arrested on July 12 while preparing to leave the country.
Merchant, who entered the US from Pakistan in April after time spent in Iran, initially reached out to a person he thought could assist with his plan. This contact, who reported the plot to authorities, became a confidential source for law enforcement.
In mid-June, Merchant met with undercover agents in New York, where he detailed his plans, which were to be executed in late August or early September, after he left the country.
This plot emerged less than a month after a failed assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, which officials have linked to a lone individual, unrelated to Merchant’s case.
Political violence remains a significant concern in the US. Recently, a man in Virginia was arrested for threatening Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, as well as President Joe Biden and FBI Chief Wray.
