In a case underscoring the ongoing threat of domestic support for international terrorist groups, a Minnesota man has pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to ISIS, as announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. Abdisatar Ahmed Hassan, 23, was charged after a series of online posts and attempted travels aligned with his support for the extremist organization, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Investigations began after the FBI was tipped off about a social media user extolling Al Shabab and ISIS, both designated by the Secretary of State as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, this information was revealed in court documents confirming that these were linked to Hassan's accounts, Hassan also praised terror attacks and exhibited the imagery of juggernaut ISIS. In a particularly striking endorsement of violence, Hassan hailed an attacker who killed 14 in New Orleans on January 1, 2025, as "the legend that killed Americans." Hassan's commitment to ISIS seemed unswerving as he twice endeavored to travel to Somalia with the intent to join ISIS, with his second attempt being thwarted by federal agents during a layover in Chicago.
Detailed scrutiny of Hassan's belongings and online presence brought to light a disturbing digital trail: social media posts propagating ISIS rhetoric, communications with an ISIS media wing, and instructional .pdf documents related to sniper training adorned with the ISIS flag. "Today’s guilty plea reflects many hours of hard work by agents and analysts from the FBI," said FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. in a statement that further emphasized the organization's dedication to countering the threats posed by groups like ISIS and Al Shabab.
Hassan's electronic footprint expanded beyond initial expectations, as his cellphones, detained by the FBI post-arrest, contained assorted .pdf files on explosives and ammunition, and his online searches traversed topics ranging from “Somalia weapons” to “gun ranges” and “isis supporter America”, these insidious preparations exposed a man steeped in extremism, one willing to cross continents and conventions in pursuit of a pernicious creed. Charged by the gravity of their mission, federal authorities conducted this operation collaboratively, with the FBI leading an investigation with support from Customs and Border Protection and the New York Police Department; the defendant now awaits his sentencing, firmly in custody.
Hassan is set to face sentencing later, after his guilty plea was entered before District Judge Donovan W. Frank in U.S. District Court.
