Federal authorities in Brooklyn made a high-profile arrest yesterday, taking Tajik national Mansuri Manuchekhri into custody on charges of conspiring to provide material support to ISIS, illegal possession of firearms, and immigration fraud. This arrest followed the unsealing of a criminal complaint that sheds light on the alleged activities of Manuchekhri, an immigrant who overstayed his visa and purportedly aided terrorist activities overseas while training with firearms in the United States.
In the statement obtained by the U.S. Attorney's Office, officials including United States Attorney General Pam Bondi and U.S. Attorney John J. Durham outlined the severity of the charges and the coordinated efforts of federal and local law enforcement agencies. Bondi emphasized her department's zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism, “We stand ready to find, arrest, and prosecute those who seek to harm American citizens with the full force of the law. I stand with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners who work to keep Americans safe and evil off our streets.”
According to the complaint, Manuchekhri's illicit activities spanned from December 2021 to April 2023, during which he allegedly facilitated around $70,000 in payments to ISIS affiliates in Turkey and Syria. These transactions included support for individuals involved in attacks, such as the January 2024 terrorist bombing of a church in Istanbul. Manuchekhri is also accused of espousing his allegiance to ISIS through various actions, including collecting and disseminating jihadi propaganda materials promoting violence and martyrdom.
The allegations extend to Manuchekhri's unlawful possession and use of firearms in the United States. Despite the legal prohibitions against him as an alien unlawfully present in the country, he is said to have made regular trips to shooting ranges and even recorded himself operating an assault rifle. This footage reportedly shared with ISIS contacts overseas, was accompanied by a message proclaiming his readiness to engage in violent extremism, as detailed by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The charges currently are allegations and Manuchekhri is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The case is being meticulously handled by the National Security and Cybercrime Section, with various assistant U.S. attorneys and National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section trial attorneys involved in the prosecution.
