Just when Americans thought ISIS belonged in the history books alongside other failed jihadist nightmares, federal agents say they uncovered a disturbing reminder that the terror threat isn’t always overseas — sometimes it’s sitting in a quiet suburban cul-de-sac.
A 25-year-old California Navy sailor is among three men accused of conspiring to support ISIS in what prosecutors describe as a long-running plot involving money transfers, drone attacks and violent fantasies aimed at American servicemembers.
According to federal authorities, Bereen Dzayee of Lakeside, California, was arrested alongside Elias Shamsaldeen, 21, of Porterville, California, and Bisaam Ghafoor, 21, of Leawood, Kansas. Investigators allege the trio spent more than a year communicating online, pledging allegiance to ISIS and discussing ways to help the terrorist organization. Prosecutors say the men collectively sent more than $2,000 to someone they believed was an ISIS member, with the understanding the money would help acquire drones and rocket-propelled grenades for attacks against US troops.
The allegations become even more chilling when examining the conversations cited by investigators.
Federal prosecutors claim Dzayee suggested targeting US Special Forces personnel. Shamsaldeen allegedly spoke about wanting to stab and injure an American servicemember. But it was Ghafoor’s comments that stand out for their sheer depravity.
“I wish I could kill 300,000,000 Americans,” he allegedly wrote.
Prosecutors say he also declared that he had “always wanted to kill a female soldier by beheading” and thought it would be “sick” if his name were written on a drone used in an attack against Americans.
Authorities further allege that the three discussed traveling overseas to join ISIS and expressed a willingness to die for the terrorist group’s cause. Investigators say the conversations took place across Discord chats, voice calls and other messaging platforms.
The arrest of Dzayee sent shockwaves through his Southern California neighborhood.
Residents described waking up to a scene more commonly associated with counterterrorism raids than suburban life. Neighbors reported seeing tactical officers swarm the area in the early morning hours before spending hours searching the property. Some watched as agents carried large bags from the home while members of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force combed through evidence.
One startled resident recalled seeing what appeared to be a white van arrive before heavily equipped agents surrounded the house. Another said neighbors gathered outside wondering whether there was an immediate danger to the community.
The case comes as ISIS has lost much of the territory it once controlled in Iraq and Syria, yet US intelligence and counterterrorism officials continue warning that the group’s ideology remains active online, where radicalization can spread through encrypted chats, social media platforms and private messaging networks. Federal authorities have repeatedly cautioned that digital recruitment remains one of the organization’s most effective tools despite its battlefield defeats.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche praised the arrests, arguing that the operation demonstrates the government’s determination to dismantle terror networks before attacks occur. “This administration has put terrorists, cartels, and gangs on notice,” Blanche said. “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.”
FBI Director Kash Patel delivered an equally blunt assessment. “These subjects allegedly swore allegiance to ISIS, plotted multiple attacks, and even targeted U.S. service members — but this FBI stopped them cold,” Patel said. “The success of this operation shows once again this FBI’s continued record of stopping terrorist attacks before they happen.”
For many Americans, the most unsettling detail isn’t that ISIS supporters still exist. It’s that prosecutors say one of the accused wore the uniform of the United States Navy while allegedly discussing ways to help a terrorist organization responsible for murdering Americans.
The charges remain allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. But if the government’s claims are borne out, this wasn’t merely online trash talk. It was a stark reminder that America’s enemies don’t always arrive from abroad. Sometimes they’re already here — chatting online, glorifying terror and allegedly rooting for attacks against the very country that gave them the freedom to do it.
