Ahmed Mahad Mohamed, 27, and Abdi Yemeni Hussein, 26, both citizens of Somalia residing in Tucson, have been handed prison sentences of 11 years and 96 months, respectively. This announcement was made by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona.
The U.S. attorney’s office confirmed that Mohamed and Hussein admitted guilt on August 1, 2024, for conspiring to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Mohamed and Hussein were involved in a conspiracy to travel to Egypt and fight for ISIS from late 2018 or early 2019 until their arrest on July 26, 2019, according to the office.
According to the U.S. attorney’s office, Mohamed expressed his aspiration to travel to Syria, join ISIS, and engage in jihad.
According to the department, Hussein expressed his desire to travel to ISIS territory. The office confirmed that in 2019, Mohamed and Hussein had a face-to-face meeting to discuss their plans.
Mohamed reaffirmed his aspiration to combat ISIS overseas, according to the department’s statement.
According to the U.S. attorney’s office, Hussein informed Mohamed that their options were either reaching ISIS territory or going to jail. In case they were stopped, he even suggested attacking the White House.
In June 2019, the defendants took steps to travel and join ISIS. They sold their cars and purchased plane tickets from Tucson to Cairo, as confirmed by the office.
On July 26, 2019, the defendants arrived at Tucson International Airport, checked in for their flight, went through security, and made their way to the departure gate, according to the office.
Mohamed and Hussein were arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) before they could board their flight, as reported by the U.S. attorney’s office.