Americans thought we were done with Trump being in danger. But nothing could be further from the truth.
And now a bombshell assassination attempt against Donald Trump shocks America.
The Justice Department has revealed it thwarted an Iranian-led assassination plot targeting President-elect Donald Trump in the weeks before the election.
A criminal complaint filed in New York City federal court indicates that in September, an official within Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) instructed Farhad Shakeri, a 51-year-old Iranian, to conduct surveillance on Trump and, ultimately, plan an assassination.
Attorney General Merrick Garland didn’t mince words, highlighting the national security risk posed by Iran.
“There are few actors in the world that pose as grave a threat to the national security of the United States as does Iran,” he stated.
Garland confirmed that Shakeri, an alleged IRGC operative, was charged for coordinating a network of associates to advance Iran’s assassination plot against Trump.
Garland also announced the arrests of two others in connection with attempts to assassinate an American journalist critical of Iran’s regime, pledging that the U.S. would not tolerate Tehran’s schemes on American soil.
According to the Justice Department, Shakeri remains at large and is believed to be in Iran.
He had previously lived in the U.S. but was deported in 2008 after serving a prison term for robbery.
Authorities report that on October 7, 2024, Shakeri was specifically tasked with producing a plan to k*ll Trump, referred to in court documents as “Victim-4.”
If Shakeri couldn’t produce a plan quickly, the IRGC intended to delay the operation until after the election, assuming Trump would lose and be easier to target afterward.
Beyond targeting Trump, Shakeri was also reportedly directed to surveil two Jewish American citizens in New York City, with a $500,000 offer from the IRGC for the assassination of either individual. Additionally, he was tasked with targeting Israeli tourists in Sri Lanka.
The Justice Department also charged two New Yorkers, Carlisle Rivera, 49, of Brooklyn, and Jonathon Loadholt, 36, of Staten Island, in an alleged plot to k*ll Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad, identified by law enforcement as “Victim-1.”
At Shakeri’s behest, Loadholt and Rivera spent months tracking Alinejad, an outspoken critic of the Iranian regime.
Messages revealed they sought $100,000 from Shakeri to carry out her m*rder, and they even monitored her appearances, including at Fairfield University.
Shakeri reportedly advised Rivera to “have patience” to catch her outside her home, warning against entering the house, calling it a “su*cide move.”
All three suspects face serious charges, including m*rder-for-hire, conspiracy, and money laundering, carrying up to 20 years in prison.
Shakeri also faces additional charges for supporting a foreign terrorist organization and violating U.S. sanctions against Iran, which could add another 20 years to his sentence if convicted.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
