Navy veteran among trio who allegedly wanted to behead soldier and fund ISIS drone attacks on Americans

Three men, including a U.S. Navy veteran, have been charged with conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State (ISIS) terror group, federal authorities announced. According to the Justice Department, the suspects plotted violence against American troops, with one expressing a desire to behead a female soldier and another stating it would be “sick” if his name were written on a drone used to attack Americans.

Bisaam Ghafoor, 21, of Leawood, Kansas; Elias Shamsaldeen, 21, of Porterville, California; and Bereen Dzayee, 25, of Lakeside, California, were arrested after collectively sending over $2,000 to an individual they believed was a member of ISIS, according to a federal criminal complaint filed in Kansas.

“This administration has put terrorists, cartels, and gangs on notice,” Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement. “Today’s arrest of three individuals who allegedly conspired to provide material support to ISIS makes clear our commitment to taking down terrorist networks—anywhere. Thanks to the vigilance of the FBI, their alleged scheme was dismantled and further acts of violence against U.S. service members were prevented.”

Dzayee served in the U.S. Navy from 2021 to 2024, deployed aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain, according to his service record the Navy provided to Fox News Digital. 

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Federal prosecutors stated that from February 2025 through June 2026, the three men used Discord chats, voice calls and other messaging platforms to coordinate their support for ISIS, pledge allegiance to the group and plot attacks against U.S. military personnel.

The FBI initially identified the trio through social media posts promoting the terrorist organization, court documents state.

According to the complaint, the suspects believed their funds were being used to purchase advanced weaponry. Shamsaldeen allegedly provided money for drones intended to kill American service members deployed overseas, while Ghafoor’s name was ultimately written onto the projectile of a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) slated for an overseas attack, federal prosecutors said in a complaint. 

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The court filings detail alleged deeply disturbing conversations between the co-conspirators. During discussions about funding drone strikes, Ghafoor allegedly exclaimed that it would be “sick” if his name was written directly onto an attack drone, the complaint said. 

In separate exchanges, Ghafoor also allegedly claimed he had always wanted to kill a female soldier by beheading, adding, “I wish I could kill 300,000,000 Americans.”

Meanwhile, Shamsaldeen allegedly expressed a desire to stab an American service member and shared that his mother had encouraged her children to grow up and kill Americans, according to court documents. He also admitted to playing violent video games while fantasizing that the gameplay was part of a real-world terrorist operation, the complaint said.

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Dzayee, the Navy veteran, allegedly suggested targeting U.S. Green Berets and Special Forces units according to prosecutors.

To conceal the illicit nature of their transactions, Dzayee allegedly suggested masking the transfers to ISIS as a “donation” or “charity.” Investigators noted the suspects also attempted to move funds using a cryptocurrency ATM, though those specific transactions ultimately failed.