A Pakistani national with suspected connections to Iran has been arrested for allegedly planning a murder-for-hire scheme targeting U.S. officials, including former President Donald Trump. Asif Merchant, 46, is accused of planning to kill various government officials and politicians.
Recent intelligence about Merchant’s plot led to increased security for Trump. However, there’s no evidence linking Merchant’s plan to a separate assassination attempt on Trump that occurred on July 13 in Pennsylvania.
Merchant’s alleged plot began in April when he traveled to the U.S. to recruit people for the scheme. He reportedly met with an FBI informant in New York and discussed his plans, which included stealing documents and staging a protest as a distraction before carrying out the killings.
Merchant drew out his plan on a napkin and used coded language like “fleece jacket” to describe the plot. He allegedly paid $5,000 to undercover agents he believed were hitmen and planned to provide more details about the targets in late August or early September.
He was arrested on July 12 before a scheduled trip abroad. Authorities found a note with the plot’s codewords in his wallet. Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized the Justice Department’s commitment to countering threats from Iran against American officials, though no link between Merchant and the Pennsylvania attack has been found.
The attack on Trump involved a man named Thomas Crooks, who fired at a rally, injuring Trump and others, and killing one person before being shot by a Secret Service sniper. The FBI continues to investigate Crooks’ motives.