Pakistani national with ties to Iran indicted for alleged murder-for-hire plot to kill Trump

The Department of Justice has accused a Pakistani national with ties to the Iranian government with seeking to carry out a murder-for-hire plot targeting US government officials.

Asif Raza Merchant, who is now in federal custody, allegedly traveled to the US to hire hit men — who were undercover officers — who could carry out assassinations in August or September, according to an indictment unsealed in New York on Tuesday.

The investigation does not appear to be related to theattempted assassination of Donald Trumpduring a campaign rally in Pennsylvania last month. White House and federal law enforcement officials do not believe the 20-year-old gunman who fired at the former president has any connection to the murder-for-hire scheme detailed in the indictment.

FBI officials reportedly believe Trump was among Merchant’s potential targets.

“For years, the Justice Department has been working aggressively to counter Iran’s brazen and unrelenting efforts to retaliate against American public officials for the killing of Iranian General Soleimani,” according to a statement from Attorney General Merrick Garland.

“The Justice Department will spare no resource to disrupt and hold accountable those who would seek to carry out Iran’s lethal plotting against American citizens and will not tolerate attempts by an authoritarian regime to target American public officials and endanger America’s national security,” he added.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Tuesday that apparent retalitatory threats from Iran are “a national and homeland security matter of the highest priority.”

In April, after traveling to Iran, Merchant arrived in the US from Pakistan and contacted a person he believed could help carry