Murder-for-hire plot had ties to Iranian Revolutionary Guards, FBI witness says | amNewYork

"Merchant, a Pakistani national, asked a New York City contact to help him orchestrate the plot to target a political rally in June 2024, according to video footage shown in court. What he didn't know was that the contact, a former translator for the U.S. military, was already in touch with the FBI, and had given agents access to the hotel room where Merchant discussed the plot, marking the target with an orange vape and asking the best angle at which said target could be shot and killed."

"In a post-arrest proffer statement, Merchant told law enforcement he got the $5,000 down payment he gave to the hit men from his cousin, Hasnain Hyderi, who worked for the IRGC, FBI Special Agent Jacqueline Smith testified Tuesday. Merchant went on to say that Hyderi, who lives in Tanzania, had previously set him up with an IRGC handler in Qom, Iran, and later passed Merchant some information the name of an Israeli business in Tanzania to relay to the handler, Mehradad Yousef."

"Merchant said both he and Hyderi were aware of each other's connection to the IRGC, Smith testified. During the interview, Smith said she asked Merchant how he'd repay his cousin the $5,000 payment. He said that he would obtain the money through his IRGC handler, Yousef, Smith said."

Asif Merchant, a Pakistani national, was arrested for allegedly plotting to hire hit men to kill a high-ranking U.S. political target believed to be Donald Trump. He coordinated with a New York City contact to target a political rally in June 2024, unaware the contact was a former military translator working with the FBI. During surveillance, Merchant marked the target with an orange vape and discussed shooting angles. The FBI arrested him July 14, 2024, as he prepared to leave the country. In post-arrest statements, Merchant revealed he received a $5,000 down payment from his cousin Hasnain Hyderi, who worked for Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps, and planned to repay it through his IRGC handler in Qom, Iran.

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