US: Federal agents arrest two men for allegedly attempting to join Isis in Syria

Two men from US state of Virginia have been arrested on terrorism charges after one of the accused was caught while he was preparing to board a plane bound for Chicago. One of the accused, according to US officials, had planned to board a travel for Amman, Jordan, and then to Syria to join Islamic State (Isis).

The other accused was arrested for assisting 28-year-old Joseph Hassan Farrokh. Officials said 25-year-old Mahmoud Amin Mohamed Elhassan drove Farrokh to Richmond airport. Farrokh was arrested from the airport on 15 January. He had purchased the flight ticket on 21 December.

Elhassan was arrested from his home and questioned by federal agents. Both the accused males are US citizens and from Woodbridge, Virginia.

Farrokh has been charged with attempting to provide material support and resources to Isis (Daesh), while Elhassan has been charged with helping Farrokh.

According to court documents filed in the case, Farrokh unknowingly had asked for help from three FBI informants, he believed could help him join IS. Even though Farrokh was apprehensive about his new friends, he still wanted to travel to Syria. He wanted to die a martyr, according to the court documents. Farrokh, however, did not want to get caught and land in jail.

Elhassan told FBI officers that he dropped Farrokh off and that Farrokh was traveling to California to attend a funeral and would be back in two weeks, the court documents said. Elhassan also lied to FBI officers about the airport from where Farrokh was taking his fight. Elhassan told the officers that Farrokh was flying out of Dulles airport, near Washington, court documents said.

Farrokh and Elhassan are scheduled to make their first appearance in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia on 19 January. If convicted, both the accused can get a maximum jail term of 20 years each.