The U.S. Department of Justice announced that a man from New Jersey, who was arrested in Kenya, has been charged with attempting to assist the extremist Islamic group al-Shabab in carrying out acts of violence amid reports that the Hamas attack on Israel sparked his enthusiasm. This arrest comes amid rising incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia following the war between Israel and Hamas, which has led to elevated levels of terrorist threat in the United States.
The Justice Department stated on Friday that Kareem Nasr, a U.S. citizen who moved from New Jersey to Egypt, was arrested in Nairobi on December 14 and was transferred to the United States on Thursday. The 23-year-old man has been charged with “attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization,” a charge that carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison according to prosecutors. The United States classifies al-Shabab as a "foreign terrorist organization."
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams stated, “As alleged, Kareem Nasr was inspired by the heinous terrorist attack perpetrated by Hamas on October 7 to commit violent jihad against America and its allies.” Prosecutors indicated that Nasr traveled from Egypt to Kenya "determined to join al-Shabab and train with them." They added that in communications with an undercover FBI source and online posts, Nasr mentioned he had been considering "engaging in jihad for a long time and that the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel was particularly a motivation for him to become a jihadist."
The Justice Department noted that Nasr took steps to join al-Shabab and receive training from them, in addition to planning to meet with members of the group in Kenya to travel to Somalia to join the organization. He was arrested by Kenyan authorities. The Justice Department is monitoring the increasing threats against Jews and Muslims in the United States due to rising levels of antisemitism and Islamophobia linked to the war in the Middle East.