Three Men Arrested on Charges They Plotted to Attack U.S. Special Forces for ISIS

U.S. Special Forces personnel using grenades and drones. Bereen Dzayee, 25, of Lakeside near San Diego, Elias Shamsaldeen, 21, of Porterville in Tulare County, and Bisaam Ghafoor, 21, of Leawood, Kansas, were arrested together on Friday.

A criminal complaint filed in federal court in Kansas states the three men spent more than a year communicating about extremist plans, including discussions about leaving the United States to join ISIS. Prosecutors allege the men paid $2,000 to a person they believed was affiliated with ISIS to purchase rocket-propelled grenades and unmanned aerial vehicles.

U.S. Special Forces personnel, according to the complaint. U.S. serviceman. Ghafoor made several violent statements during the communications.

He said it would be “sick” to have his name placed on a drone used in an attack, spoke about beheading a female soldier, and stated that he wished he could kill 300 million Americans, the Department of Justice alleged. Dzayee previously served in the Navy, according to neighbors and a former classmate who identified photos of him in a sailor’s uniform.

Pentagon officials have not confirmed his military status.

Agents searched Dzayee’s home and garage for several hours while interviewing his parents. A neighbor described seeing a white van arrive and tactical personnel surround the house. The same neighbor said residents watched from a distance and one asked an FBI agent whether the neighborhood was in danger; the agent replied they were only making an arrest.

Residents described Dzayee as someone who kept mostly to himself. One neighbor said his limited interaction with others was unusual for the area.