Middle East - Houston Stringer

Global network used cryptocurrency to funnel funds to ISIS, U.S. and Canadian defendants convicted

27Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Canada, Europe, Middle East, U.S.

Global network used cryptocurrency to funnel funds to ISIS, U.S. and Canadian defendants convicted

BROOKLYN, NY – A multinational conspiracy involving U.S. and Canadian nationals has resulted in multiple convictions for funding the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) using cryptocurrency and online fundraising platforms. Photo Courtesy of DOJ On October 25, 2025, a federal jury in Brooklyn convicted Abdullah At Taqi, 26, of Queens, New York, of all charges including conspiracy and attempt to provide material support to ISIS, and conspiracy to launder money. Co-defendant Mohamad David Hashimi pleaded guilty to the same charges earlier this month. Two other individuals, Seema Rahman and Khalilullah Yousuf, also participated in the funding operation, with Yousuf prosecuted in Canada. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the defendants used Bitcoin, PayPal, and GoFundM...

Pakistani national sentenced to 40 years after smuggling operation that led to deaths of two Navy SEALs

ALEXANDRIA, VA – A Pakistani national has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for his role in an Iranian weapons smuggling operation that resulted in the deaths of two U.S. Navy SEALs. On June 5, 2025, a federal jury convicted Muhammad Pahlawan of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, aiding Iran’s weapons of mass destruction program, and transporting explosives to the Houthi rebel forces in Yemen. He was also convicted of threatening his crew during the mission. According to court records, on Jan. 11, 2024, U.S. Navy forces operating from the USS Lewis B. Puller, including Navy SEALs and Coast Guard personnel, intercepted Pahlawan’s unflagged dhow off the coast of Somalia. The boarding team discovered Iranian-made ballistic missile components, anti-ship ...

Louisiana man arrested for alleged role in Hamas-led October 7 terrorist attack

LAFAYETTE, LA – The Department of Justice announced the arrest of Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub Al-Muhtadi, 33, a native of Gaza currently residing in Lafayette, Louisiana, for his alleged involvement in the Hamas-led terrorist attack against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. According to court documents, Al-Muhtadi is accused of being an operative for the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine’s (DFLP) military wing, known as the National Resistance Brigades. Prosecutors allege that Al-Muhtadi armed himself, recruited others, and entered Israel during the October 7 attack, where his phone was traced near Kibbutz Kfar Aza, one of the communities heavily targeted by Hamas and its affiliates. Al-Muhtadi allegedly falsified information on his U.S. visa application, concealing his connections ...