US Stops Iranian Plan to Kill Donald Trump Before 2020 Election

Plan to Kill Donald Trump

The U.S. Justice Department has disrupted an Iranian plot to assassinate then-President-elect Donald Trump just weeks before the 2020 election. A criminal complaint filed in New York reveals that Farhad Shakeri, a 51-year-old Iranian national, was tasked by an Iranian official in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) to surveil and kill Trump. The plot, which began in September 2024, aimed to eliminate Trump either before or after the election, with the IRGC official suggesting a delay if Trump was expected to lose the election.

Shakeri, who is currently believed to be in Iran after being deported from the U.S. in 2008, was reportedly given a deadline of October 7, 2024, to present a detailed plan to assassinate Trump. He was also instructed to monitor two Jewish American individuals in New York City, with the IRGC offering $500,000 for the murder of either one. Furthermore, Shakeri was assigned to target Israeli tourists in Sri Lanka, expanding the scope of the assassination efforts.

In addition to the plot against Trump, Shakeri’s activities were linked to a broader network involving U.S. citizens. Two New York men, Carlisle Rivera, 49, and Jonathon Loadholt, 36, were arrested for allegedly working with Shakeri to track and murder a U.S. citizen of Iranian descent, believed to be Masih Alinejad, an outspoken critic of the Iranian regime. Rivera and Loadholt had been surveilling Alinejad, taking photographs of her, and even planning an attack on her in early 2024.

Federal prosecutors have charged Shakeri, Rivera, and Loadholt with murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder, and money laundering conspiracy. If convicted, they could face between 10 and 20 years in prison. Shakeri is facing additional charges related to supporting a foreign terrorist organization and violating U.S. sanctions against Iran, which carry penalties of up to 20 years in prison.

Attorney General Merrick Garland condemned Iran's actions as a direct threat to U.S. national security. He vowed that the Justice Department would continue to pursue and hold accountable those involved in such plots, stating that the U.S. would not tolerate the Iranian regime’s attempts to target American citizens or undermine the safety of the nation.

US Stops Iranian Plan to Kill Donald Trump Before 2020 Election