Six Minnesota men have been charged with conspiracy and attempt to provide material support to ISIL (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Zacharia Yusuf Abdurahman, 19, Adnan Farah, 19, Hanad Mustafe Musse, 19, and Guled Ali Omar, 20, were arrested in Minneapolis Sunday. Abdirahman Yasin Daud, 21, and Mohamed Abdihamid Farah, 21, were also arrested in California after driving from Minneapolis to San Diego.
“The six defendants charged in the complaint allegedly planned to travel to Syria as part of their conspiracy to provide material support to ISIL,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin. “One of the National Security Division’s highest priorities is to identify, disrupt, and hold accountable those who provide or attempt to provide material support to designated foreign terrorist organizations.”
The criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court details the defendants’ financial dealings, efforts to join and support ISIL – and presents their pro-ISIL social media posts on Twitter and Facebook as exhibits, such as:
- “Hate the kuffars (infidel, non-believer) and Oppressors and the likes, love the Mumineen (the devout).”
- “How can they defeat Us when we’re already Destined for Victory? The question is: ‘am I gona take part of that Victory”? #Islam.”
The FBI has been conducting an investigation for the last 10 months into a group of individuals who have tried to join – and in some cases succeeded in joining – overseas designated foreign terrorist organizations. At least nine Minnesotans have now been charged as part of this conspiracy to provide material support to ISIL. The men are all alleged associates and friends of one another.