WASHINGTON (WXYZ) — Three Lansing residents have been arrested and charged with conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham or ISIS. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Michigan announced the charges Tuesday, which are punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison.
According to a release, Muse Abikadir Muse (or Muse Muse), Mohamud Abdikadir Muse and Mohamed Salat Haji were arrested by members of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. All three of the defendants are neutralized U.S. citizens who were born in Kenya.
According to a release, Muse Abikadir Muse (or Muse Muse), Mohamud Abdikadir Muse and Mohamed Salat Haji were arrested by members of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. All three of the defendants are naturalized U.S. citizens who were born in Kenya.
Muse Muse was arrested at the Gerald R. Ford airport in Grand Rapids after checking in for a flight Monday. Investigators say Muse was planning a series of stops on his way to Mogadishu, Somalia. Law enforcement officers later arrested alleged co-conspirators Mohamud Abdikadir Muse and Mohamed Salat Haji.
According to a complaint affidavit, Muse Muse had purchased airline tickets earlier in January to travel from Grand Rapids to Somalia. His flight was scheduled to depart Monday, Jan. 21. Haji and Mohamud Muse allegedly aided in the purchase of Muse Muse's ticket and drove him to the Grand Rapids airport. Investigators say each of the co-conspirators both knew the purpose of Muse Muse's trip was to join and fight for ISIS.
Additionally, the complaint affidavit alleges that all three men pledged allegiance to ISIS through videos they recorded. They also discussed their desire to kill non-believers and to even potentially use a car for a "martyrdom operation" in the United States if they could not travel overseas to fight for ISIS, investigators say.
