Federal authorities have arrested three men in Kansas and California on charges they conspired to provide material support to the terrorist organization known as the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).
According to a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas, 21-year-old Bisaam Ghafoor of Leawood, Kansas; 21-year-old Elias Shamsaldeen of Porterville, California; and 25-year-old Bereen Dzayee of Lakeside, California, allegedly worked together to provide financial support and other assistance to an individual they believed was a member of ISIS.
Federal prosecutors allege the men collectively sent more than $2,000 to support ISIS-related activities between February 2025 and June 2026. Investigators say the funds were intended to help purchase equipment, including drones, that could be used in attacks against U.S. military personnel deployed overseas.
The complaint also details a series of online conversations conducted through Discord and other messaging platforms in which the defendants allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS and discussed violent acts against Americans and U.S. service members.
According to court documents, Ghafoor allegedly stated it would be “sick” if his name were written on a drone used in an attack against Americans. Prosecutors say he also expressed a desire to kill a female U.S. soldier by beheading and stated, “I wish I could kill 300,000,000 Americans.”
Dzayee allegedly suggested that U.S. Special Forces personnel should be targeted by drones, while Shamsaldeen reportedly expressed a desire to stab and injure a U.S. servicemember.
Authorities further allege that Ghafoor’s name was written on the projectile of a rocket-propelled grenade purportedly intended for use in an overseas attack targeting American troops. Shamsaldeen is accused of providing money to help purchase drones for similar purposes.
Investigators also claim the defendants discussed traveling overseas to fight on behalf of ISIS and expressed a willingness to die for the organization.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the arrests demonstrate the federal government’s commitment to disrupting terrorist networks and preventing attacks against Americans.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the suspects allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS and plotted attacks against U.S. service members, adding that the investigation prevented potential acts of violence.
The investigation was led by FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces in Kansas City, San Diego, and Sacramento, with assistance from FBI offices in Richmond and Newark.
The defendants have been charged by complaint with conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Federal prosecutors noted that a criminal complaint is an allegation, and all three defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
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