Afghan National Charged for Alleged Bomb Threat on TikTok in Texas, Say Federal Prosecutors

In a troubling case that underscores the complexities of modern digital threats, a man in Texas has found himself at the center of legal proceedings after allegedly making violent threats online. Authorities have charged Mohammad Dawood Alokozay, an Afghan national, following the circulation of a video in which he purportedly threatened to construct a bomb and execute a suicide attack targeting Americans. This video, which was disseminated on TikTok and other social media platforms, has sparked significant concern.

The charges were filed in a federal court over the weekend, though Alokozay has not yet entered a plea. As of now, there is no confirmation if he has secured legal representation, with The Associated Press reporting no immediate response from the federal public defender’s office regarding the matter.

The situation came to light when the Texas Department of Public Safety notified the FBI on November 25. They flagged a video call where a man, believed to be residing in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, made alarming threats, including his intention to create a bomb in his vehicle. He also expressed a connection to the Taliban, as detailed by FBI Special Agent Justin Killian in accompanying court documents.

Employing facial recognition technology, the FBI identified Alokozay as the individual in the video, leading to his swift arrest. According to Killian, Alokozay not only admitted to making the threatening statements but also confessed to removing the TikTok app from his phone after being informed of the video’s visibility on social media.

Responding to the incident, Attorney General Pamela Bondi issued a statement emphasizing the gravity of the situation. She criticized the Biden administration’s handling of vetting processes, expressing that the threats purportedly made by Alokozay highlight significant public safety concerns. Bondi affirmed the Department of Justice’s commitment to collaborating with federal and state partners to safeguard the American public.

This incident comes in the context of the U.S. evacuation program known as Operation Allies Welcome, through which approximately 76,000 Afghans who had assisted American forces were relocated to the United States following the Taliban’s resurgence in 2021. The case has added another layer of scrutiny to the program and its outcomes.

Alokozay was initially arrested on a state charge of making a terroristic threat. Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for public affairs Tricia McLaughlin announced the arrest on the social media platform X on Saturday — one day after the Trump administration halted all asylum decisions and paused issuing visas for people traveling on Afghan passports.

Those moves came after two National Guard members were shot Wednesday in Washington. Federal authorities have identified the suspect in the shooting near the White House as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who worked with the CIA during the Afghanistan War.

He applied for asylum during the Biden administration and was granted it this year under President Donald Trump, according to a group that assists with resettlement of Afghans who helped U.S. forces in their country.

Neither McLaughlin nor U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould indicated any connection between the cases.