Federal authorities arrested three men Friday who are accused of supporting ISIS and plotting attacks against American service members, prompting FBI Director Kash Patel to declare that investigators had stopped a potential terrorist threat before it could become a reality.
The suspects were identified as Bisaam Ghafoor, 21, of Leawood, Kansas; Elias Shamsaldeen, 21, of Porterville, California; and Bereen Dzayee, 25, of Lakeside, California.
According to the Department of Justice, the three men were arrested after allegedly conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, commonly known as ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Federal investigators say the suspects collectively provided more than $2,000 to an individual they believed was an ISIS member and engaged in extensive discussions about supporting the terrorist group through money, services and personnel.
Patel praised the operation and credited FBI agents with preventing what could have become a dangerous situation.
“This FBI stopped them cold,” Patel said in a statement.
“The success of this operation shows once again this FBI’s continued record of stopping terrorist attacks before they happen, simply the best way to defend the homeland,” he added.
According to court documents, the alleged conspiracy took place between February 2025 and June 2026.
Investigators say the suspects communicated through Discord, voice calls and other messaging platforms where they allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS and expressed support for its leadership.
The Justice Department alleges the men participated in social media groups that promoted violence and discussed ways to assist ISIS operations.
Some of the messages cited in the criminal complaint were particularly alarming.
According to prosecutors, Ghafoor allegedly stated that it would be “sick” if his name could be written on a drone used in an attack against Americans.
Dzayee allegedly suggested that U.S. Special Forces personnel should be targeted by drone strikes.
Court documents also claim Shamsaldeen expressed a desire to stab and injure an American service member.
In another exchange cited by investigators, Ghafoor allegedly stated that he had always wanted to kill a female soldier by beheading and added, “I wish I could kill 300,000,000 Americans.”
Federal authorities further allege that Ghafoor’s name was written on a projectile for a rocket-propelled grenade that terrorists planned to use in an overseas attack targeting U.S. service members.
The complaint also alleges that Shamsaldeen provided financial support intended to help purchase drones that could be used in attacks against American troops deployed overseas.
Officials say the suspects also discussed traveling abroad to fight alongside ISIS and expressed a willingness to die on behalf of the terrorist organization.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the arrests demonstrate the administration’s commitment to combating terrorism wherever it emerges.
“This administration has put terrorists, cartels, and gangs on notice,” Blanche said.
“Today’s arrest of three individuals who allegedly conspired to provide material support to ISIS makes clear our commitment to taking down terrorist networks anywhere,” he added.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Kriegshauser for the District of Kansas said the case serves as a reminder that terrorist threats can emerge within the United States itself.
“Unfortunately, we must face the reality of bad actors living within our borders clandestinely conspiring on ways to create fear and havoc,” Kriegshauser said.
He added that cooperation between multiple law enforcement agencies was essential to bringing the investigation to a successful conclusion.
The investigation was conducted by FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces operating out of Kansas City, San Diego and Sacramento, with assistance from FBI field offices in Richmond and Newark.
The three suspects are charged with conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, Fox News reported.
If convicted, they could face significant federal prison sentences.
For now, federal officials say the arrests represent another example of law enforcement disrupting an alleged terror plot before Americans were harmed.
