Two men were arrested at a Tucson airport after they pledged to provide support for ISIS and planned to travel overseas to fight on behalf of the terrorist organization, according to federal officials.
Ahmed Mahad Mohamed, 21, and Abdi Yemani Hussein, 20, were arrested on July 26 at the Tucson International Airport, according to the Department of Justice.
Federal court documents show the two men were in communication with an undercover FBI employee who they believed was helping make arrangements to travel to Egypt to carry out terrorist attacks there.
Court documents said they planned to conduct an attack in Tucson if they weren’t able to travel.
Both Mohamed and Hussein came to the U.S. as Somalian refugees, according to an affidavit filed in federal court. Mohamed obtained lawful permanent residency and Hussein is still a refugee.
An undercover FBI agent began communicating with Mohamed in August 2018. The agent told Mohamed they were located overseas. Mohamed allegedly told the FBI employee that he wanted to travel to Syria or Iraq to join ISIS and “achieve martyrdom.”