DOJ Discovers Iranian Plot To Kill President-Elect Donald Trump

Photo Credit: Carlo Allegri/Reuters

On Nov. 8, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced charges in connection to a thwarted Iranian assassination attempt against president-elect Donald Trump before the election, and revealed other “murder-for-hire” schemes targeting US citizens. 

The charges were made against Afghan National Farhad Shakeri, who allegedly led the planning of the attack, and US citizens Carlisle Rivera and Jonathon Loadholt — two New York residents and alleged members of Shakeri’s network — for allegedly aiding in surveillance connected to the plot. 

While he is currently presumed to be living in Tehran, Shakeri lived in the US for a portion of his life until he was deported in 2008 after serving 14 years in prison for a robbery conviction. 

In recent months, Shakeri has been accused of being an asset of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), the most powerful branch of the Iranian Armed Forces. Designated a terrorist organization by Canada, the IRGC reports only to the Office of the Supreme Leader.  Shakeri may also have been associated with manipulating a network of criminals he met in US prisons to work with the IRGC, and allegedly supplied the IRGC with materials needed to perform surveillance and assassinations of individuals of interest. 

Rivera and Loadholt both were accused of spending months spying on a citizen of Iranian heritage residing in the United States, known as Victim-1. 

According to the DOJ, Victim-1 is a prominent critic of Iran, leading to the Iranian government allegedly directing multiple kidnapping and/or murder plots against him. Rivera and Loadholt reportedly made repeated attempts to locate Victim-1 for murder, in exchange for $100,000 from Shakeri.

Rivera and Loadholt were arrested at their respective residences in New York on Nov. 8. 

After messages, voice notes, and interviews shared between Shakeri, Loadholt, and Rivera were uncovered, all three individuals were charged with murder-for-hire, with a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. In one instance, Shakeri revealed to law enforcement that he was tasked by the IRGC to draft a plan to kill Donald Trump on Oct. 7.

Furthermore, the trio have been charged with conspiracies to commit murder-for-hire and money laundering, adding a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. 

Shakeri has also been charged with conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, which carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.

Following the arrests, Attorney General Merrick Garland promised the government would continue to combat interference from Iran.

“There are few actors in the world that pose as grave a threat to the national security of the United States as does Iran. We will not stand for the Iranian regime’s attempts to endanger the American people and America’s national security,” he said in a statement.

The DOJ suspects that the most recent plot was likely, in part, retaliation for the January 2020 death of Qasem Soleimani, a former IRGC commander, who was killed by a US drone strike in Baghdad that was ordered by Trump, with the intent of assassinating Soleimani.