The Justice Department on Friday revealed an Iranian murder-for-hire scheme aimed at assassinating President-elect Donald Trump, charging a man who claimed he was directed by an Iranian government official just days before the U.S. election.
Farhad Shakeri, identified as an Afghan national and operative for the Iranian regime, informed investigators about the plot during interviews. Shakeri, who had previously been deported from the U.S. following a robbery conviction, described how a contact within Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard instructed him in September to devise a plan within a week to surveil and kill Trump. This information was detailed in a criminal complaint unsealed in Manhattan federal court.
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The two other individuals charged, Carlisle Rivera and Jonathon Loadholt, who are American citizens, were arrested in New York and are accused of helping the Iranian government surveil a separate US citizen of Iranian origin.
They made their initial appearance in court on Thursday, the Justice Department said, and are being detained pending trial.
“There are few actors in the world that pose as grave a threat to the national security of the United States as does Iran,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department has charged an asset of the Iranian regime who was tasked by the regime to direct a network of criminal associates to further Iran’s assassination plots against its targets, including President-elect Donald Trump. We have also charged and arrested two individuals who we allege were recruited as part of that network to silence and kill, on U.S. soil, an American journalist who has been a prominent critic of the regime. We will not stand for the Iranian regime’s attempts to endanger the American people and America’s national security.”
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FBI Director Christopher Wray condemned the plot, revealing Iran’s efforts to silence critics and target high-profile individuals, including Trump. He noted the involvement of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated foreign terrorist organization, and praised the FBI’s swift action in disrupting the scheme.
“The charges announced today expose Iran’s continued brazen attempts to target U.S. citizens, including President-elect Donald Trump, other government leaders and dissidents who criticize the regime in Tehran,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — a designated foreign terrorist organization — has been conspiring with criminals and hitmen to target and gun down Americans on U.S. soil and that simply won’t be tolerated. Thanks to the hard work of the FBI, their deadly schemes were disrupted. We’re committed to using the full resources of the FBI to protect our citizens from Iran or any other adversary who targets Americans.”
According to court documents, Shakeri, linked to the IRGC, recruited Rivera and Loadholt from his former prison network in the U.S. The two men conducted months of surveillance on their target, a U.S. citizen and outspoken opponent of the Iranian regime. In exchange for a promised $100,000, they tracked the victim’s movements and planned the murder, coordinating closely with Shakeri.
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In recorded messages, Shakeri instructed patience, advising against any rash actions. Rivera and Loadholt complied, staking out locations associated with the victim. Beyond this plot, Shakeri was reportedly tasked by the IRGC with other assassination missions, including a directive on October 7, 2024, to devise a plan to kill President-elect Donald Trump. Additionally, he was allegedly offered $500,000 to murder Jewish American citizens in New York and tasked with targeting Israeli tourists abroad.
The charges include murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and money laundering, each carrying severe penalties. Shakeri faces additional counts of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and violating sanctions against Iran, which could result in up to 20 years in prison per count.
The investigation, led by the FBI New York Field Office with assistance from U.S. Customs and the DEA, highlights ongoing threats posed by the Iranian regime. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams reaffirmed the commitment to pursuing justice, stating, “We will not rest until those who endanger our citizens are held accountable.”
Assistant U.S. Attorneys and National Security Division officials are prosecuting the case, with further details available in the criminal complaint.
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