A Connecticut man has been arrested after trying to leave the United States to join the ISIS terrorist group in Syria, according to a news release by the Department of Justice.
Ahmad Khalil Elshazly, a 22-year-old from West Haven, was charged with attempting to provide material support to ISIS—a designated foreign terrorist organization. Elshazly was arrested on Sunday after he arrived at Stonington, where he allegedly planned to board a boat to Turkey in order to avoid detection by law enforcement at an airport.
Elshazly, a U.S. citizen, had expressed since approximately September 2018 that he wanted to travel to Syria to fight for ISIS in order to contribute more to the terrorist group’s efforts, according to a criminal complaint. In February, he said he had saved about $1,000 dollars and planned to use the money to travel to Jordan and from there, Syria.
“Elshazly was bent on supporting ISIS. Worried that his efforts here would be too small and that he would be stopped at the airport, he planned to travel overseas aboard a container ship to join and fight for ISIS,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers.
According to the complaint, during a meeting in October, Elshazly allegedly said, “…I want to go to the caliphate and fight there. I can kill maybe…like a hundred kaffir. I can kill them. A hundred kaffirs. If I do something here how many kaffirs could I kill? One, two, three and then I get shot and I die. It is more benefitting if I go there, I could kill more and will get more faithful rewards.”
He also allegedly added, “…they say, War has started and we are marching to it…..but all doors are closed, closed. I am talking to myself now, asking myself, How do I get there? How can I help Muslims? How can I do anything?” He further stated, “God willing! May this country [United States] burn the same way they burned Muslims! May they burn in fire at the end!”
The complaint also alleged that Elshazly sent someone a series of YouTube videos “explaining how various high-powered firearms and other weaponry work.”
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to targeting and stopping those who wish to cause mayhem, both in the U.S. and abroad, before they are successful,” said U.S. Attorney John H. Durham for the District of Connecticut. “I thank the FBI’s JTTF and all the agencies involved in the lengthy investigation that culminated in yesterday’s arrest. Their work has saved lives.”
“It is crucial the citizens of Connecticut, and across the country, know we at the FBI and our task force partners are unwavering in our work to successfully identify and disrupt potential terrorist activities, as this case demonstrates,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Brian C. Turner of the New Haven Division. “Through nonstop intelligence gathering and great investigative techniques, we will continue to pursue those who seek to bring harm to U.S. citizens and dismantle potential terrorist actions wherever they may be.”
The charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.
An investigation is ongoing and being led by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, according to the release. Stonington Police Department, New Haven Police Department, and Connecticut State Police are assisting the FBI in the investigation.
