Federal agents detained Bisaam Ghafoor, Elias Shamsaldeen and Berein Dzayee on Friday, accusing them of a scheme to finance ISIS and employ rocket‑propelled grenades (RPGs) and drones against American service members. the arrests, coordinated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force across Kansas City, San Diego and Sacramento, follow months of online chatter pledging allegiance to the extremist group.

RPG and drone attack plans detailed in February‑June communications

According to the indictment, the trio exchanged messages from February 2025 through June 2026 that described how they would acquire and weaponize RPGs and commercial drones. Ghafoor even suggested engraving his name on an RPG projectile, while Shamsaldeen talked about donating money to purchase drones for targeting troops overseas.

Cryptocurrency fundraising scheme linked to ISIS financing

The FBI says the men intended to use a cryptocurrency operation to move money to ISIS, a method that evades traditional banking oversight. Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg stated, “These defendants conspired to support ISIS, intending to fund plans to kill American servicemembers.” The alleged crypto flow was meant to finance the purchase of the weapons and related logistics.

Geographic spread of suspects highlights cross‑state coordination

Ghafoor, 21, resides in Leawood, Kansas, while Shamsaldeen, 21, and Dzayee, 25, live in Porterville and Lakeside, California respectively. The investigation involved field offices in both states as well as assistance from Richmond and Newark, underscoring the nationwide reach of the plot.

Who remains unidentified in the alleged network?

The complaint does not name any external financiers or handlres, leaving open whether the trio acted alone or were part of a larger ISIS‑linked cell.. Law enforcement has not disclosed any additional arrests or ongoing searches for co‑conspirators.

Key unanswered points about weapon acquisition

Authorities have not explained how the suspects planned to obtain the RPGs or whether any were actually procured before the arrests. The indictment also omits details on the specific cryptocurrency platforms they intended to use,raising questions about the operational depth of the scheme.