Ahmed Mahad Mohamed, 26, and Abdi Yemeni Hussein, 25, both Somali citizens residing in Tucson at the time of the offense, have pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Provide Material Support and Resources to ISIS. Their sentencing is set for October 11, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps.
From late 2018 until their arrest on July 26, 2019, Mohamed and Hussein conspired to travel to Egypt to fight for ISIS in the Sinai Peninsula.
Starting in August 2018, Mohamed sought out ISIS supporters online, expressing his desire to join ISIS, become “the beheading guy,” and martyr himself.
Read: U.S. Designates Key ISIS Financiers In Africa To Disrupt Terrorist Funding, Imposes Sanctions
He also expressed a wish to travel to Syria to fight jihad, and indicated that Hussein shared this goal. The two met in person in 2019 to discuss their plans, with Hussein suggesting they either reach ISIS territory or face jail, and even proposed attacking the White House if prevented from traveling.
By June 2019, the men began making travel arrangements to join ISIS, selling their cars and buying plane tickets from Tucson to Cairo. On July 26, 2019, they checked in for their flight at Tucson International Airport, passed security, and headed to their departure gate. Mohamed carried around $10,000 for travel expenses and to purchase firearms. They planned to smuggle themselves into ISIS-controlled territory in the Sinai Peninsula upon arrival in Egypt. However, they were arrested by the FBI before boarding their flight.
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A conviction for Conspiracy to Provide Material Support and Resources to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Both men have agreed to a judicial order of removal and will be deported to Somalia after serving their prison terms.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, with prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
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