New York: US man arrested for trying to join Pakistan-based terror group

Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman for the Southern District of New York, the Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney of the FBI New York Field Office and Commissioner James P. O’Neill of the Police Department for the City of New York (NYPD) made the announcement.

Jesus Wilfredo Encarnacion, a.k.a. “Jihadistsoldgier,” “Jihadinhear,” “Jihadinheart,” “Lionofthegood,” was arrested last night at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK Airport) in Queens, New York.  Encarnacion is expected to be presented later today before Magistrate Judge Henry B. Pitman in Manhattan federal court, read a statement issued by the US Department of Justice.

“Encarnacion allegedly attempted to travel to Pakistan to join a foreign terrorist organization and conspired with another individual to provide that organization with material support,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers.  “The National Security Division is committed to identifying and holding accountable those who seek to join and support designated foreign terrorist organizations.”

“As alleged, Jesus Encarnacion, a Manhattan man, plotted to travel to Pakistan to join and train with the terrorist organization Lashkar e-Tayyiba, which is infamous around the world for perpetrating the lethal 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and other atrocities,” said U.S. Attorney Berman.  “The excellent work of the FBI and NYPD stopped Encarnacion’s alleged plan to support this deadly terrorist organization before he took flight, and now he will face federal terrorism charges.”

“As alleged, not only did Mr. Encarnacion express a desire to execute and behead people, he scheduled travel and almost boarded a plane so he could go learn how to become a terrorist,” FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney Jr.  “These organizations are using the internet and social media to appeal to the most barbaric impulses in people, and train them to kill.  The FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force will continue to do all it can to stop these alleged criminals before innocent people are killed.”

“As alleged, Jesus Encarnacion had expressed his desire to commit a terrorist attack while living in New York City and never abandoned those plans,” said NYPD Police Commissioner O’Neill.  “Allegedly, one of his stated motives for traveling overseas was to get the training and experience he believed he needed to someday return to the United States and carry out attacks.  I want to commend the FBI Agents, NYPD Detectives and representatives of 54 other agencies that make up the Joint Terrorism Task Force for the investigation that led to this arrest.”

As alleged in the criminal Complaint,[1] filed in Manhattan federal court:

In Nov. 2018, Encarnacion expressed his desire to join a terrorist group in an online group chat, where he met another individual (CC-1).  CC-1 introduced Encarnacion to an individual who, unbeknownst to CC-1 or Encarnacion, was in fact an undercover FBI employee (UC-1).  Encarnacion repeatedly expressed, in the course of recorded communications through a social media service with CC-1 and through an encrypted messaging service with UC-1, his allegiance to and support for LeT, which, since approximately 2001, has been designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the United States Secretary of State.

Over the past several months, Encarnacion has discussed his desire and plans to join LeT overseas so that he could receive training and participate in violent acts of terrorism.  For example, Encarnacion told UC-1 that he was “ready to kill and die in the name of Allah” and sought UC-1’s assistance to help Encarnacion travel to abroad to serve as an “executioner” for LeT, stating, “I want to execute.  I want to behead.  Shoot.”  Encarnacion further stated that he aspired to commit terrorist attacks (“a bombing and shooting”) in the United States, but lacked “guidance” and “guns” to do so.

During the months that followed, Encarnacion and UC-1 agreed on a plan that Encarnacion believed would allow him to join LeT in Pakistan. 

Encarnacion told UC-1 that he had made arrangements to travel to a particular city in Europe (the “European City”), as the first step of traveling to Pakistan to join LeT.  Encarnacion purchased an airline ticket for a flight scheduled to depart on Feb. 7, 2019, from JFK Airport, to the European City.

On Feb. 7, Encarnacion traveled to JFK Airport, where he was arrested by the FBI after he attempted to board that flight.