Federal authorities in the United States have arrested and charged an Afghan national residing in Texas after he allegedly threatened to carry out a suicide bombing attack.
Video Threat Leads to Swift Arrest
Mohammad Dawood Alokozay, a 30-year-old man living in Fort Worth, Texas, was taken into custody following the discovery of a threatening video he posted online. The video appeared on social media platforms TikTok, X, and Facebook just days before the Thanksgiving holiday in November.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, in the video, Alokozay declared that Americans and "infidels" must perish. He specifically stated his intention to use an improvised explosive device (IED) for the attack, even mentioning a yellow cooking oil container favoured by the Taliban for constructing such bombs.
Multi-Agency Investigation Thwarts Potential Attack
The video, posted on November 23, showed Alokozay speaking angrily in Dari, a language common in Afghanistan, while interacting with at least two other men. The FBI's Dallas Field Office, working with the Fort Worth Police, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Texas Department of Public Safety, moved quickly to investigate and apprehend the suspect.
U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Ryan Raybould, has filed a single federal charge against Alokozay for making threatening communications in interstate commerce. The suspect remains in custody awaiting his initial appearance before a U.S. magistrate judge.
Political Fallout and Connection to Resettlement Program
The case has immediately drawn political commentary. Attorney General Pam Bondi released a statement linking the incident to the Biden administration's immigration policies. "This Afghan national came into America during the Biden administration and as alleged, explicitly stated that he came here in order to kill American citizens," Bondi said. She criticized what she called a "vetting breakdown" that created a public safety threat.
Reports indicate Alokozay entered the United States under the Operation Allies Welcome resettlement program. This program was established following the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan in 2021. This arrest comes shortly after another high-profile incident involving an Afghan national admitted under the same program, who is accused of shooting two National Guard members in Washington, D.C.
