Houston resident Omar Faraj Saeed Al Hardan, 24, has pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), marking a chilling escalation in domestic terrorism threats tied to foreign conflict zones. Al Hardan, an Iraqi refugee granted legal permanent residence in the United States, admitted to federal court that he willingly offered himself as a fighter and attempted to manufacture remote detonators for use by the terrorist group.
Al Hardan entered the U.S. as a refugee on or about Nov. 2, 2009, after spending time in refugee camps in Jordan and Iraq. He was granted legal permanent resident status on or about Aug. 22, 2011, and settled in Houston. But by April 2014, federal agents were already tracking his digital footprint after learning he had begun communicating with a California man he believed was linked to Al-Nusrah Front. That individual claimed to have fought in Syria and discussed returning with Al Hardan to join the jihad.
By June 2014, Al Hardan had begun communicating with a Confidential Human Source (CHS), with whom he discussed plans to travel overseas and support ISIL. He expressed a desire to be trained in building remote transmitter/receiver detonators for improvised explosive devices, studied online videos to teach himself the techniques, and even demonstrated a homemade circuit board designed to trigger a bomb via cell phone. His digital trail revealed a mind fully committed to violence.
On Nov. 5, 2014, Al Hardan formally took an oath of loyalty to ISIL. Two days later, he and the CHS conducted nearly an hour of tactical weapons training using an AK-47—a weapon Al Hardan said he wanted for his mission. His social media posts painted the same picture: one included a photo of a Humvee flying an ISIL flag, captioned, “ISIS yesterday in Iraq, today in Syria and Allah willing, tomorrow in Jerusalem.” He repeatedly declared his intent to die as a martyr, stating, “I want to blow myself up. I want to travel with the Mujahidin. I am against America.”
When agents arrested Al Hardan in January 2016, they found a cache of materials consistent with his plans: training CDs on bomb-making, electronic components, circuitry tools, multiple unactivated cell phones, a prayer list for jihad, and an actual ISIL flag. None of it was hypothetical. Each item reflected preparation, intent, and allegiance to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Al Hardan has remained in federal custody since his arrest and awaits sentencing on Jan. 17, 2017. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine. The investigation was led by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations, with support from the Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Mark McIntyre and Ralph Imperato are prosecuting the case with assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Related Federal Cases
- Arkansas Gangs Fuelled by Drugs & Violence Face Federal Crackdown · Mississippi
- MS-13 Enforcer ‘Chichi’ Romero Gets 5 Years in Racketeering Case · Texas
- Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Meth Conspiracy · Illinois
- Antonio Romero Jr. Led Fentanyl, Cocaine Trafficking Ring · Texas
- Richard Byrd Pleads Guilty in $Million Baltimore Drug Ring · Texas
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Organized CrimeOrganized CrimeOrganized CrimeOrganized Crime