FBI Arrests Three Alleged ISIS Suspects in Plot Targeting US Special Forces
The indictment tests the reach of domestic terrorism statutes against alleged homegrown radicalization, with federal prosecutors relying heavily on undercover investigative methods that courts...
Federal prosecutors charged three men — Bereen Dzayee, 25, of Lakeside, California; Elias Shamsaldeen, 21, of Porterville, California; and Bisaam Ghafoor, 21, of Leawood, Kansas — on Friday with conspiracy to provide material support to ISIS and participation in a plot to attack United States Special Forces personnel, according to a Department of Justice announcement dated June 6, 2026. Dzayee is an active-duty U.S. Navy sailor stationed near San Diego. The charges follow a lengthy investigation led by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force.
According to the federal criminal complaint, prosecutors allege the three defendants sought to acquire drones, grenades, and rocket-propelled grenades for use in an attack against U.S. military Special Forces operatives. Prosecutors further allege the defendants coordinated plans to funnel financial support to ISIS. The complaint, filed in the relevant U.S. District Court, is the primary public record detailing the specific overt acts alleged. The complaint has not yet been independently verified in full by The Congressional Times.
Dzayee's status as an active-duty Navy sailor raises questions within the jurisdiction of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees regarding insider threat screening protocols, though neither committee has issued a public statement as of publication. The Defense Department has not issued a public comment on Dzayee's security clearance status or the duration of his service, information that would be reflected in official Pentagon personnel records.
All three defendants are presumed innocent under U.S. law unless convicted at trial or upon a guilty plea. Defense attorneys for the defendants, if appointed or retained, had not made public statements available in court dockets reviewed as of the time of publication. The specific federal district in which charges were filed — and therefore which judges will preside — was not confirmed in available public records at time of publication; the DOJ press release would constitute the authoritative source for that detail.
What remains unknown includes the full scope of the alleged network, whether additional defendants may be charged, and what specific undercover or confidential informant methods were used during the investigation. The affidavit supporting the criminal complaint, once fully unsealed and available via PACER, would answer those questions. The Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism has jurisdiction to conduct oversight hearings on domestic ISIS prosecution trends, though no hearing has been scheduled as of June 7, 2026.