Afghan National Charged in Texas for Social Media Bomb and Suicide Attack Threats

FORT WORTH, Texas – A 30-year-old Afghan national residing in Fort Worth, Mohammad Dawood Alokozay, has been federally charged with transmitting a threatening communication in interstate commerce after allegedly posting videos on social media threatening to build a bomb and carry out a suicide attack. The charges stem from a video call on November 23, which was subsequently shared across platforms including TikTok, X, and Facebook.Federal prosecutors allege that Alokozay, speaking in Dari and gesturing animatedly, threatened to conduct a suicide attack targeting other participants on the call, as well as "infidels" and Americans. According to court documents, he claimed he would construct a bomb in his vehicle, referencing a specific type of yellow cooking oil container used by the Taliban for improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Afghanistan.Law enforcement authorities, including the Texas Department of Public Safety and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, identified Alokozay using facial recognition technology after receiving public reports about the video. He was arrested on November 25, just two days after the alleged threats were made. Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the FBI's Dallas Field Office emphasized the swift apprehension, stating, "Thanks to public reports of a threatening online video, the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force apprehended this individual before he could commit an act of violence."Alokozay reportedly stated that the Taliban were "dear to him" and that he came to the United States with the intent to kill American citizens. He also claimed he was not afraid of deportation or death. If convicted of transmitting a threatening communication, Alokozay faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.The arrest comes amidst heightened scrutiny regarding the vetting of foreign nationals, with Attorney General Pamela Bondi criticizing the "vetting breakdown" and stating, "The public safety threat created by the Biden administration’s vetting breakdown cannot be overstated." While this incident is distinct, it occurred shortly before another Afghan national, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was charged in connection with a shooting involving National Guard members in Washington, D.C., though authorities have indicated no direct connection between the two cases.