The Justice Deprt. announced today (Nov. 8, 2024) that three men were charged in a murder--for--hire plot to kill President--elect Donald Trump in revenge for the death of a top Iranian military commander, the USA Today website reports.
Farhad Shakeri, 51, of Iran, and Carlisle Rivera,49, and Jonathon Loadholt, 36, of New York were named in the indictment.
Rivera and Loadholt were each arrested yesterday in New York and were ordered held pending trial during an initial court appearance.Shakeri remains at large and is believed to be in Iran.
The charges allege Iran has been targeting U.S. citizens to take vengeance for the January 2020 death of Qasem Soleimani, commandewr of the Qods Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who was killed by a drone strike in Baghad on Trump.s orders.
Iran has targeted Trump personally with assassination plots and his campaign through hacking attempts as it sought to disrupt the 2024 presidential race, officials say.
"There are few actors in the world that pose as grave a threat to the national security of the United States as does Iran," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. "The Justice Department has charged an asset of the Iranian regime who was tasked by the regime to direct a network of criminal associates to further Iran's assassination plots against its targets, including President--elect Donald Trump."
Shakeri is an Iranian Republican Guard asset who lives in Tehran, Iran, according to prosecutors. Shakeri had immigrated to the U.S. as a child and was deported in about 2008 after serving 14 years in prison for a robbery conviction.
In recent months, Shakeri has used a network of criminal associates he met in prison to supply the Iranian Republican Guard with operatives to conduct surveillance and assassinations . Two members of Shakeri's network are his co--defendants , Rivera and Loadholt.
"We will not stand for the Iranian regime's attempts to endanger the American people and America's national security," Aty. Gen. Garland said.
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