Three US citizens have been accused of plotting an act of terror against U.S. Special Forces. They have both been arrested and subsequently charged for their roles in the plot. According to the New York Post, one member was an ex-Navy sailor.
25-year-old Bereen Dzayee of Lakeside, California was arrested alongside 21-year-old Elias Shamsaldeen of Porterville, Tulare County, California. 21-year-old Bisaam Ghafoor from Leawood, Kansas, was also arrested.
Authorities claim that the three perpetrators paid $2,000 to someone they thought was from ISIS. They were angling to buy rocket-propelled grenades as well as UAV drones for the attack.
The three men are also accused of spending over a year plotting to leave the U.S. in favor of joining ISIS. }
Dzayee himself, who was a Navy sailor, allegedly put forward the idea of using drones to target Special Forces. Dzayee served in the Navy in 2023, but left in 2024. Photos from his social media show him wearing a sailor's uniform.
Shamsaldeen is also accused of wanting to carry out a knife attack against a U.S. army member.
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Family and Friends of the Sailor Were Shocked
Of course, the expectation is that if you serve your country, it's not likely you'd want to commit horrific acts.
And that's the thought process that much of Dzayee's family and friends had.
One neighbor recalled the time that he was arrested on Friday, June 5. "We looked out - it seemed to me like it was a white van that pulled up and tactical guys jumped out and surrounded the house," they explained.
"Very odd in this neighborhood. So the neighbors started coming out, we didn't approach but we were watching."
Agents apparently stayed at the residence for hours. They searched the home and garage and interviewed the sailor's parents, who were shocked.
"You immediately - you see Terrorist Task Force, your alarms go up," another neighbor added. "I actually walked up to the FBI agent and asked if the house was going to blow up, whether the neighborhood should be concerned, and he assured me, 'No, we're arresting someone. That's all we've got."
