A Brooklyn federal jury on Friday found Pakistani national Asif Raza Merchant guilty of murder-for-hire and terrorism charges for plotting to hire a hitman to kill a U.S. politician, potentially President Donald Trump, prosecutors and news reports said. Merchant, 47, was convicted after a brief jury deliberation and faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced at a later date. (washingtonpost.com)
Prosecutors said Merchant sought to recruit assassins on U.S. soil, paid $5,000 in cash to people he believed were intermediaries and outlined plans for an attack at a political rally before the scheme unraveled when the supposed hit men turned out to be undercover FBI agents. Authorities have described the effort as related to retaliation for the U.S. killing of Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander Qassem Soleimani in January 2020. (washingtonpost.com)
During his trial, Merchant took the unusual step of testifying and said he had been coerced by an Iranian contact to participate, claiming his family in Tehran was under threat by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps if he refused. He told jurors he believed he would be stopped before anyone was actually harmed. Merchant also said his handler had mentioned three possible names in connection with the plot — then-candidate Donald Trump, President Joe Biden and former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley — though, he testified, no specific kill order had been given. (washingtonpost.com)
Merchant was arrested on July 12, 2024, as he prepared to leave the country, and the Justice Department says law enforcement foiled the plot before any attack could be carried out. Court filings indicting him charged him with an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries and murder-for-hire; a spokesman said a sentencing date will be set at an unconfirmed future time. If sentenced on both counts, he could face life imprisonment. (justice.gov)
The case drew attention from U.S. officials who have previously characterized the alleged scheme as tied to Iran and warned of threats to American officials. Prosecutors argued the evidence showed Merchant actively sought out people he believed could carry out violence and did not seek help from authorities before his arrest; his defense stressed coercion and fear for his relatives abroad. The conviction underscores ongoing U.S. concerns about plots directed or inspired by foreign actors and the role of undercover operations in preventing attacks. (justice.gov)
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/pak-man-asif-merchant-found-guilty-of-plot-to-kill-trump-us-officials-11180044#publisher=newsstand
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Publish Date: 2026-03-07 05:24:00
