Washington, D.C. Nov 09, (V7N) — The U.S. Justice Department announced charges on Friday against three men involved in a murder-for-hire scheme, one of whom is accused of attempting to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump in retaliation for the 2020 U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. The charges reveal an intricate plot allegedly orchestrated by Iranian interests to target American citizens, including Trump and journalist Masih Alinejad.

The three individuals charged in the case are Farhad Shakeri, 51, of Iran, and Carlisle Rivera, 49, and Jonathon Loadholt, 36, both from New York. Rivera and Loadholt were arrested Thursday in New York and are being held without bail. Shakeri, however, remains at large and is believed to be in Iran.

The Plot Unfolds

According to the indictment, Shakeri, an alleged asset of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was tasked in October 2023 with executing a plan to assassinate President-elect Trump. This was reportedly in revenge for the U.S. military strike that killed Soleimani, the commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force, in Baghdad in January 2020. In a series of conversations with law enforcement, Shakeri admitted to being given the mission to kill Trump and also mentioned his surveillance of two Jewish American citizens in New York. Shakeri claimed that an Iranian official had offered him $500,000 to murder either of the individuals.

The charges indicate that Shakeri had been actively involved in directing a network of criminal associates to carry out surveillance and potentially violent actions, including assassination. He allegedly used associates he met while serving time in U.S. prisons after being deported in 2008 following a robbery conviction. Shakeri had immigrated to the U.S. as a child before being deported after serving a 14-year prison sentence.

The Justice Department’s statement makes clear that this plot was part of broader Iranian efforts to target U.S. citizens in retaliation for the killing of Soleimani, one of Iran’s top military figures. Shakeri is said to have been a key operative in coordinating these assassination plans, further implicating the Iranian regime’s interest in striking at U.S. targets.

Iran’s Continued Targeting of Americans

The charges come amidst a broader pattern of Iranian state-sponsored attacks against American interests. As the Justice Department explained, Iran has shown an ongoing interest in targeting U.S. citizens, including the attempts to disrupt the 2024 presidential race and assassination plots aimed at high-profile figures like President Trump.

Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized the seriousness of the threat, stating that few actors in the world pose as much of a risk to U.S. national security as Iran. “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,” Garland said in his statement.

Shakeri’s co-defendants, Rivera and Loadholt, were allegedly involved not only in the plot to kill Trump but also in the targeting of Masih Alinejad, an outspoken Iranian-American journalist and activist who has been a vocal critic of Iran’s policies, particularly its mandatory head-covering laws for women. Alinejad had already been the subject of previous Iranian assassination attempts, including a failed kidnapping plot in 2021.

Alinejad Speaks Out

Alinejad, who was informed about the plot against her by the FBI, expressed shock during a public talk at Fairfield University. “I came to America to practice my First Amendment right to freedom of speech. I don’t want to die. I want to fight against tyranny, and I deserve to be safe,” she said. Alinejad thanked the FBI for their intervention and underscored the importance of law enforcement protection in safeguarding those who speak out against authoritarian regimes.

Legal Charges and Penalties

The three men face multiple serious charges. These include murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; conspiracy to commit murder, which also carries a 10-year sentence; and conspiracy to launder money, which could lead to up to 20 years in prison. Prosecutors have made it clear that these charges are part of a larger effort to prevent state-sponsored terrorism and hold those responsible for orchestrating these dangerous plots accountable.

The indictment further underscores the reach and persistence of Iran’s attempts to target U.S. citizens and destabilize American political institutions, particularly during a sensitive time as the 2024 presidential election draws nearer.

In response to the charges, Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for President Trump’s campaign, expressed gratitude to law enforcement for preventing the plot, calling the actions of the Iranian regime “nefarious” and stressing the importance of swift and decisive action to deter such threats.

As of now, Shakeri remains a fugitive, with U.S. authorities urging anyone with information about his whereabouts to come forward.

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