Who Is Asif Merchant? Pakistani National With Iran Ties Charged In Foiled Assassination Plot On Trump

Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, a complaint was unsealed charging Asif Merchant, also known as "Asif Raza Merchant," 46, with murder-for-hire in a scheme to assassinate a U.S. politician or government officials on American soil. Law enforcement thwarted the plot before any attack could occur. Merchant is now in federal custody in New York.

The suspect, identified as Asif Merchant, also known as Asif Raza Merchant, targeted former U.S. president and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump as one of his intended victims, as reported by Hindustan Times.

Who Is Asif Merchant? Everything You Must Know

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department's National Security Division Matthew G. Olsen, and Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's New York Field Office Christie M. Curtis announced the arrest and charges.

"For years, the Justice Department has been working aggressively to counter Iran's brazen and unrelenting efforts to retaliate against American public officials for the killing of Iranian General Soleimani," said Attorney General Garland, as reported by Hindustan Times. "The Justice Department will spare no resource to disrupt and hold accountable those who would seek to carry out Iran's lethal plotting against American citizens and will not tolerate attempts by an authoritarian regime to target American public officials and endanger America's national security."

Breon Peace emphasized the swift action taken to protect national security, thanking the FBI's Field Offices in Dallas, Houston, Tampa, Boston, Washington D.C., Chicago, and Albany for their partnership. He also expressed gratitude to the New York City Police Department, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection for their assistance, as reported by Hindustan Times.

"This dangerous murder-for-hire plot exposed in today's charges was allegedly orchestrated by a Pakistani national with close ties to Iran and is straight out of the Iranian playbook," said FBI Director Wray. "A foreign-directed plot to kill a public official, or any U.S. citizen, is a threat to our national security and will be met with the full might and resources of the FBI."

Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen highlighted that those engaging in lethal plotting on U.S. soil would face the full force of the American justice system. "The targeting of former and current officials by foreign actors is an affront to our sovereignty and our democratic institutions, and the Department of Justice will use every possible tool to expose and disrupt this egregious activity."

Acting Assistant Director Christie Curtis of the FBI New York Field Office commended the efforts of agents, analysts, and prosecutors in New York, Houston, and Dallas. "Their success in neutralizing this threat not only prevented a tragic outcome but also reaffirms the FBI's commitment to protecting our nation and its citizens from both domestic and international threats."

Court documents reveal that Merchant orchestrated a plot to assassinate a politician or U.S. government officials on American soil. After spending time in Iran, Merchant arrived in the United States from Pakistan in April 2024 and contacted a person he believed could assist with the scheme, as per media reports. This individual reported Merchant's conduct to law enforcement and became a confidential source (CS).

In early June, Merchant met the CS in New York and detailed his assassination plot. He indicated the ongoing nature of the opportunity by making a "finger gun" motion, symbolizing killing. Merchant instructed the CS to arrange meetings with individuals who could be hired for the actions. The plot involved multiple criminal schemes: stealing documents or USB drives from a target's home, planning a protest, and killing a politician or government official.

Merchant planned potential assassination scenarios with the CS, questioning how the target would die in various situations and noting the presence of security around the person. He stated that the assassination would occur after he left the United States and he would communicate with the CS using code words from overseas.

In mid-June, Merchant met with undercover U.S. law enforcement officers (UCs) posing as hitmen in New York. He sought their services for theft, arranging protests, and killing a political person, promising instructions on who to kill by late August or early September after his departure, as per media reports.

Merchant secured $5,000 in cash for the UCs as an advance payment for the assassination. On June 21, he met with the UCs in New York and paid the advance, confirming their agreement. He planned to leave the United States on July 12, 2024, but was arrested by law enforcement before his departure. Merchant has a wife and children in Iran and another family in Pakistan.

The charges in the complaint are allegations, and Merchant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The case is handled by the National Security & Cybercrime Section, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara K. Winik, Gilbert Rein, and Douglas Pravda leading the prosecution, assisted by Trial Attorneys David Smith and Joshua Champagne from the Department of Justice's Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division.