In what appears to be a transparent effort to promote war with Iran, a Pakistani national, Asif Raza Merchant, 46, was charged with murder for hire, in a case brought by the FBI, alleging that Merchant paid an initial $5,000 to hire assassins of U.S. politicians. The criminal complaint was unsealed today in a Brooklyn federal court, but Merchant had been arrested on July 12, the day before the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. Investigators have discovered no connection with Thomas Crooks, the shooter of Trump, and the criminal complaint does not identify Trump by name as a target.
Breon Peace, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, stated: “Working on behalf of others overseas, Merchant planned the murder of U.S. government officials on American soil.” The detention memo alleges that Merchant had spent time in Iran, that in April 2024, he flew from Pakistan to the U.S. to recruit hitmen, and that the person he contacted was a confidential informant working with the FBI. “Fortunately, the assassins Merchant allegedly tried to hire were undercover FBI Agents,” acting Assistant Director Christie Curtis of the FBI New York Field Office explained.
