Fort Worth, Texas – An Afghan national living in North Texas has been hit with federal charges after allegedly threatening to construct a bomb and carry out attacks against Americans, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas announced today.
The suspect, identified as 27-year-old Mohammad Yaser Wardak, was arrested last week and made his initial appearance in federal court on Monday. He faces one count of transmitting a threat in interstate commerce, a felony that carries a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.
According to the criminal complaint unsealed yesterday, Wardak allegedly told a confidential informant that he wanted to build an explosive device and “kill Americans.” Investigators say the threats began surfacing in late 2024 after Wardak reportedly expressed frustration with U.S. foreign policy and voiced support for extremist ideology.
FBI agents monitoring the case say Wardak went so far as to research bomb-making materials online and discussed potential targets in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The complaint includes screenshots of messages in which he allegedly wrote, “I will make a bomb and blow up the infidels” and “America will pay.”
Wardak entered the United States in 2021 on a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) after reportedly working as an interpreter for U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Federal prosecutors say the alleged threats represent a stark betrayal of the trust placed in him through the SIV program.
“Individuals who come to this country seeking safety and opportunity have no place threatening the lives of their fellow citizens,” U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton said in a statement. “We will use every tool at our disposal to hold accountable those who seek to do us harm.”
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, with assistance from the Fort Worth Police Department.
Wardak remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing later this week. If convicted, he faces up to five years behind bars and likely deportation proceedings afterward.
This incident comes amid heightened scrutiny of the Afghan resettlement program following the chaotic 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Kabul, during which tens of thousands of Afghans were brought to the United States under emergency humanitarian parole and SIV pathways. While the vast majority of resettled Afghans have integrated peacefully, a small number of criminal and national-security cases have raised questions about vetting procedures.
More details are expected as the case moves forward.🔔📲 Subscribe ✅ for More Update