Federal agents arrested three people in Kansas and California accused of conspiring to support ISIS after investigators say the group funneled more than $2,000, exchanged violent plans and praised the terrorist group in chats; officials from the Department of Justice and the FBI described the arrests as a successful disruption of an overseas attack plot and thanked the field offices involved.
Federal law enforcement moved early to take three alleged co-conspirators into custody: Bisaam Ghafoor, 21, of Leawood, Kansas; Elias Shamsaldeen, 21, of Porterville, California; and Bereen Dzayee, 25, of Lakeside, California. They were arrested on a complaint in the District of Kansas charging them with conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Prosecutors say the defendants collectively provided over $2,000 to someone they believed to be an ISIS member and plotted in chats about weapons, drones, and overseas attacks. Investigators detail messages in which the suspects pledged allegiance to ISIS and discussed using rocket-propelled grenades and drones against U.S. servicemembers abroad.
In the communications, Ghafoor reportedly said it would be “sick” if his name could be written on the drone used in an attack on Americans, and made other violent statements attributed to him. The complaint also includes threats and specific targeting suggestions: Dzayee allegedly suggested U.S. Special Forces as drone targets, while Shamsaldeen expressed a desire to stab and injure a U.S. servicemember.
Officials did not downplay the danger. “This administration has put terrorists, cartels, and gangs on notice,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Today’s arrest of three individuals who allegedly conspired to provide material support to ISIS makes clear our commitment to taking down terrorist networks — anywhere. Thanks to the vigilance of the FBI, their alleged scheme was dismantled and further acts of violence against U.S. service members were prevented.”
FBI Director Kash Patel framed the operation as a clear win for homeland security and credited multiple field offices. “These subjects allegedly swore allegiance to ISIS, plotted multiple attacks, and even targeted U.S. service members — but this FBI stopped them cold,” said Patel. “The success of this op shows once again this FBI’s continued record of stopping terrorist attacks before they happen, simply the best way to defend the homeland — and shows we’ll stop at nothing to defend Americans from those who seek to do us harm. I want to thank our teams in Kansas City, San Diego, Sacramento, Newark, and Richmond, and the Counterterrorism Division for their outstanding efforts on this investigation and commitment to mission.”
Justice Department officials described the communications and intent laid out in the complaint, which traces contacts beginning at least in February 2025 and running to about June 2026. The alleged coconspirators used Discord chats, voice calls, and other messaging platforms to coordinate, exchange violent propaganda, and discuss travel to fight for ISIS.
“According to the complaint, these defendants conspired to support ISIS, a ruthless terrorist organization, with the intent, among other things, to fund plans to kill American servicemembers abroad,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Thanks to the work of the FBI, their plans to betray their country in the gravest way lies in ruin. Instead, these defendants will face justice in our courts.”
Investigators say one projectile had Ghafoor’s name written on it and that Shamsaldeen provided funds intended to buy drones to be used against U.S. service members. The complaint alleges the defendants and others discussed traveling overseas to fight and expressed willingness to die for ISIS, which prosecutors argue underscores the seriousness of the threat.
U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser pointed to public reporting and cooperation as critical tools for preventing plots on American soil. “For years, the Department of Justice has been encouraging Americans that if they see suspicious activity, they should report it to law enforcement. That’s because long gone are the days where terrorist threats and attacks are incidents that only take place far away on foreign soil,” he said. “Unfortunately, we must face the reality of bad actors living within our borders clandestinely conspiring on ways to create fear and havoc. The only way to root out and prevent terrorism plots is through collaboration among all levels of law enforcement and across jurisdictions. Collaboration is what facilitated the arrests of these three suspects.”
The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force offices in Kansas City, San Diego, and Sacramento led the probe with support from Richmond and Newark, and prosecutors from the District of Kansas and the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are handling the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Rask and Michelle MacFarlane, and Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and Jay Rezai are listed as the litigators moving the matter forward in court.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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