National Security

Pakistani National with Ties to Iran Indicted in Alleged Assassination Plot Against U.S. Politician

Published

3 months ago

September 12, 2024

The U.S. Department of Justice has announced the indictment of Asif Merchant, also known as Asif Raza Merchant, a Pakistani national with alleged ties to Iran, in connection with a plot to assassinate a prominent U.S. politician or government official. The charges, unveiled on Wednesday, include terrorism transcending national boundaries and murder-for-hire.

Merchant, who is now in federal custody, was reportedly part of an Iranian-backed scheme to target high-profile U.S. politicians, with former President Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden named as potential targets. The Justice Department emphasized that the foiled plot represented a grave national security threat.

“The Justice Department will not tolerate Iran’s efforts to target our country’s public officials and endanger our national security,” said Attorney General Merrick Garland in a statement following the indictment.

Merchant was arrested in July and has remained in custody ever since. According to U.S. Attorney Breon Peace, who oversees the Eastern District of New York, Merchant was the orchestrator of the assassination plot. After spending time in Iran earlier this year, Merchant traveled from Pakistan to the United States with the intention of carrying out the plan. He allegedly reached out to an individual he believed could help him execute the scheme, unaware that the person had reported his activities to law enforcement and become a confidential source.

In mid-June, Merchant met in New York with people he thought were hired hitmen, but they were actually undercover U.S. law enforcement officers. He then began arranging a $5,000 cash payment to the undercover officers as part of the plot.

If convicted, Merchant faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. His indictment has heightened tensions surrounding Iran’s alleged involvement in targeting U.S. officials and has drawn renewed attention to international terrorism efforts aimed at destabilizing the U.S. government.

National Security

Fentanyl Found in Dead Dolphins off Gulf of Mexico

Published

19 hours ago

December 11, 2024

Sara Carter Staff

Researchers from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi found traces of fentanyl and other illegal substances in the carcasses of dolphins from the Gulf of Mexico. The study researched 89 bottlenose dolphins from three areas of the Gulf, and the percentage of drugs found was astounding.

News Nation Now reports on the study:

Of the 89 dolphins that were studied, 30 contained traces of having drugs in their system, including 24 that had traces of fentanyl. The research found that the trace of fentanyl detected in the mammals was not necessarily the cause of death, but it raises tremendous concerns as to how and why dolphins had ingested the deadly substance.

While researchers cannot trace back the drugs’ origins, the proximity of the Mexican border to where the dolphins were found, suggest drug smuggling via the waterway could be a very likely explanation. Authorities say that drug smugglers have been using the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico for years In the summer of 2024 alone, the Mexican Navy pulled 1.6 tons of suspected cocaine from the water.

Researchers at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi said they don’t think the dolphins with drugs found inside them are alone. A previous study discovered that sharks were also found to have cocaine in their system.

“What I call it is raising the red flag basically,” Hussain Abdulla, a chemistry professor at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, told NewsNation. “There is a concern here and we need to look. We need to investigate it further and (see) how big that problem is. Is it only local in the Gulf of Mexico or is it actually worldwide?”