Justice Dept. Files Charges Against Iranian in Third Attempted Plot to Assassinate Trump
The Justice Department has accused an Iranian national of plotting to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump. However, officials in Tehran have publicly denied any connection to the scheme.
A criminal complaint submitted to a federal court in New York City discloses that an unnamed figure from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps allegedly directed 51-year-old Farhad Shakeri of Iran to “focus on surveilling, and ultimately assassinating, former President of the United States, Donald J. Trump.”
“Shakeri has informed law enforcement that he was tasked on Oct. 7, 2024, with providing a plan to kill President-elect Donald J. Trump,” the complaint states.
On Saturday, Iranian government spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei “categorically dismissed allegations that Iran was involved in attempts to assassinate former and current US officials,” as conveyed by the foreign ministry.
Baghaei labeled the claims “completely baseless and rejected,” and mentioned that Iran has faced similar accusations in the past, which have been “firmly denied and proven false.”
He further claimed these accusations were part of a “malicious conspiracy orchestrated by Zionist and anti-Iranian circles, aimed at further complicating the issues between the US and Iran.”
Baghaei wrapped up his remarks by affirming that Iran “remains committed” to using “all legitimate and legal means” to “restore the rights of the Iranian nation” on both domestic and international stages.
According to the DOJ, Shakeri is still at large and is thought to be living in Iran. He “immigrated to the United States as a child and was deported in or about 2008 after serving 14 years in prison for a robbery conviction.”
Shakeri is also accused of hiring two New York residents, Carlisle Rivera, 49, and Jonathon Loadholt, 36, to surveil and kill an American of Iranian descent—identified as journalist Masih Alinejad, who “is an outspoken critic of the Iranian regime”—for a promised sum of $100,000.
Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized, “We will not stand for the Iranian regime’s attempts to endanger the American people and America’s national security.”
Shakeri, along with Rivera and Loadholt, is charged with murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and a money laundering conspiracy. Each charge could result in a maximum sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison.
Additionally, Shakeri faces accusations of conspiring to support a foreign terrorist organization, providing such support, and conspiring to breach the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and sanctions against Iran. These offenses also carry potential sentences of up to 20 years each.
Trump has already survived two assassination plots over the summer. The first incident occurred on July 13, when 20-year-old Thomas Crooks fired eight shots, one of which grazed Trump’s right ear. Tragically, a rally attendee behind Trump was fatally struck, and two others were severely injured.
The second attempt unfolded in September at Trump’s golf course near his Mar-a-Lago residence. Ryan Wesley Routh had positioned himself with a rifle near a green but was intercepted by Secret Service agents. Routh is now facing multiple charges, including attempted assassination, firearm offenses, and assaulting an officer.
Following the second attempt, former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino shared concerns, even hinting at the possibility of a “mole” within the Secret Service or the Department of Homeland Security.
Bongino pointed to several cases of foreign nationals or state-backed efforts to infiltrate U.S. agencies. He referenced an incident where two individuals were convicted for impersonating federal agents in a deceptive scheme that fooled the Secret Service.
He also mentioned potential Iranian connections, raising questions: “Is there a honeypot trap going on in the Secret Service? Is there a guy or a woman in the Secret Service having a relationship with someone who is not who they say they are?” He drew comparisons to instances where “the Iranians have been running these traps in Israel and elsewhere” and highlighted their potential interest in targeting Trump.
“Folks, how do we know that there’s not some kind of honeypot trap and that some agent or some DHS personnel, someone who has to be notified, is not in a relationship with someone?” Bongino speculated.