Oklahoma City authorities have decided to keep an Afghan man in custody due to allegations that he was planning an attack on Election Day in the United States. The man, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, has a background as a security guard for a U.S. military facility in Afghanistan, which has raised concerns about his actions leading up to this incident.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Suzanne Mitchell made her ruling after listening to an FBI agent’s testimony. The agent disclosed that Tawhedi, along with a juvenile brother-in-law, had sought to acquire AK-47 rifles and ammunition, intending to target large crowds during the upcoming elections. The judge determined that there was sufficient evidence to proceed with a trial against Tawhedi.

FBI agent Derek Wiley testified that Tawhedi is also tied to an ongoing investigation in France, where three individuals, including two of Tawhedi’s brothers, were arrested this month for allegedly conspiring to commit a terrorist attack. One of the detainees in France, a 22-year-old Afghan national, was reportedly being investigated for a potential assault on a soccer stadium or a shopping center.

Authorities have indicated that both Tawhedi and the suspects in France were motivated by the ideologies of the Islamic State group. The Justice Department previously stated that Tawhedi arrived in the U.S. via a special immigrant visa in September 2021, shortly after the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul. He had been released on parole while awaiting a decision on his immigration status, which has now been revoked.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Dillon emphasized in court that if Tawhedi were freed, he would be residing in the U.S. unlawfully. During the hearing, Tawhedi appeared in shackles and was accompanied by U.S. marshals, requiring a Dari language interpreter for effective communication with his attorney, Craig Hoehns.

Wiley revealed that Tawhedi had been under surveillance for over 40 days before his arrest on October 7. Tawhedi admitted to authorities that he and his accomplice planned their attack to align with Election Day, expecting to be martyrs in the process. Additionally, the agent mentioned that Tawhedi had communicated with individuals linked to the Islamic State through the messaging platform Telegram, affirming his loyalty to the group.

In defense of his client, Hoehns argued for house arrest, claiming Tawhedi had only handled one weapon that was provided by an informant and emphasized that he had no prior arrests or legal troubles during his three years in the U.S. He noted that Tawhedi had worked as a rideshare driver in Dallas and at multiple oil change businesses in Oklahoma City.

The investigation in France has been confirmed to have started on September 27, prior to Tawhedi’s U.S. arrest. The FBI issued a statement stressing that the collaborative efforts between U.S. and French law enforcement were crucial in foiling potential terrorist plots, underscoring the significance of international cooperation in such matters.