Federal authorities have announced charges against three individuals, including a U.S. Navy veteran, for allegedly conspiring to support the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist organization. The Justice Department revealed that the group had planned attacks on American military personnel, with one suspect reportedly expressing a desire to decapitate a female soldier and another finding the idea of his name on a drone targeting Americans “sick.”
The individuals charged are 21-year-old Bisaam Ghafoor from Leawood, Kansas; Elias Shamsaldeen, also 21, from Porterville, California; and 25-year-old Bereen Dzayee from Lakeside, California. According to a federal complaint lodged in Kansas, the trio allegedly sent over $2,000 to someone they believed to be affiliated with ISIS.
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche stated, “This administration is putting terrorists, cartels, and gangs on alert. The arrest of these three suspects, accused of plotting to provide material support to ISIS, underscores our dedication to dismantling terrorist networks wherever they operate. Thanks to the FBI’s diligence, their alleged plot was thwarted, preventing further violence against U.S. military personnel.”
According to Navy records shared with News Media, Dzayee served in the U.S. Navy from 2021 to 2024 and was deployed on the USS John S. McCain, a guided-missile destroyer.
The Justice Department also shared images depicting rocket-propelled grenades and financial transactions linked to the three men charged with supporting ISIS. (Justice Department)
Federal prosecutors stated that from February 2025 through June 2026, the three men used Discord chats, voice calls and other messaging platforms to coordinate their support for ISIS, pledge allegiance to the group and plot attacks against U.S. military personnel.
The FBI initially identified the trio through social media posts promoting the terrorist organization, court documents state.
According to the complaint, the suspects believed their funds were being used to purchase advanced weaponry. Shamsaldeen allegedly provided money for drones intended to kill American service members deployed overseas, while Ghafoor’s name was ultimately written onto the projectile of a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) slated for an overseas attack, federal prosecutors said in a complaint.
The court filings detail alleged deeply disturbing conversations between the co-conspirators. During discussions about funding drone strikes, Ghafoor allegedly exclaimed that it would be “sick” if his name was written directly onto an attack drone, the complaint said.
In separate exchanges, Ghafoor also allegedly claimed he had always wanted to kill a female soldier by beheading, adding, “I wish I could kill 300,000,000 Americans.”
Meanwhile, Shamsaldeen allegedly expressed a desire to stab an American service member and shared that his mother had encouraged her children to grow up and kill Americans, according to court documents. He also admitted to playing violent video games while fantasizing that the gameplay was part of a real-world terrorist operation, the complaint said.
FILE – The suspects are accused of having pledged allegiance to ISIS and its leader, according to DOJ officials. (Pictures from History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Dzayee, the Navy veteran, allegedly suggested targeting U.S. Green Berets and Special Forces units according to prosecutors.
To conceal the illicit nature of their transactions, Dzayee allegedly suggested masking the transfers to ISIS as a “donation” or “charity.” Investigators noted the suspects also attempted to move funds using a cryptocurrency ATM, though those specific transactions ultimately failed.
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