(NewsNation) — Federal prosecutors have charged a New Jersey man with attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization in Somalia.
Karrem Nasr, aka “Ghareeb Al-Muhajir,” was inspired by the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and was arrested in Kenya while trying to travel to Somalia, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York said Friday in a news release.
The government alleges Nasr sought to join and train with al Shabaab, a terrorist group that has attacked Americans and American allies.
“Nasr, a citizen of this country, traveled from Egypt to Kenya bent on joining and training with al Shabaab so that he could execute his jihadist mission of death and destruction,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in the news release. “Nasr was prepared to kill and be killed to support the jihadist cause, and in his own words, he described America as ‘evil’ and the ‘head of the snake.'”
According to the criminal complaint, Nasr, 23, moved to New Jersey from Egypt in July 2023. Since November, Nasr had allegedly expressed a desire to join al Shabaab, including in a conversation with an FBI confidential source posing as a terrorist facilitator.
Nasr said in communications with the FBI source and in online writings that he was motivated by the Hamas attack on Israel, according to the criminal complaint. Nasr is alleged to have warned in a post on X that “Jihad” was “coming to a location near you” along with airplane, bomb and fire emojis.
Prosecutors allege that Nasr made flight and lodging arrangements for travel to Kenya, where he planned to meet members of al Shabaab before carrying on to Somalia. On Dec. 14, Nasr took a flight from Egypt to Kenya, where he was arrested.
He is charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and faces up to 20 years in prison.