MINNEAPOLIS — A Pakistani doctor who was working as a research coordinator at a medical clinic in Rochester, Minn., was arrested Thursday on terrorism charges, after prosecutors say he told others that he pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State group and wanted to carry out “lone wolf” attacks in the United States.
Muhammad Masood, 28, was arrested at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Thursday by FBI agents and was charged with one count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
Prosecutors say Masood was in the U.S. on a work visa. They allege that starting in January, Masood made several statements to others, pledging his allegiance to the Islamic State group and its leader. He expressed his desire to travel to Syria to fight for IS and a desire to carry out lone wolf attacks in the U.S.
Prosecutors say Masood bought a plane ticket on Feb. 21 to travel from Chicago to Amman, Jordan, and then planned to go to Syria from there. But on March 16, he had to change his travel plans because Jordan closed its borders due to the coronavirus pandemic. Masood switched his plans to fly from Minneapolis to Los Angeles to meet with someone who he believed would help him travel in a cargo ship into Islamic State territory.
