Key Takeaways
- A US citizen, Karrem Nasr, was arrested in Kenya for allegedly supporting the al-Shabaab terrorist group.
- Nasr faces up to 20 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organisation.
- Nasr took specific steps to join al-Shabaab, including making flight reservations and communicating with an FBI confidential source.
Washington: Law enforcement authorities arrested a US citizen in Kenya and returned him to the United States to face criminal charges for allegedly attempting to provide support to the al-Shabaab terrorist group (linked to al-Qaeda, banned in Russia),the US Justice Department said in a statement.
Police arrested 23-year-old Karrem Nasr on December 14 in Nairobi, Kenya and transported him to the US on December 28, the statement said on Friday.
“Nasr took specific steps to join and receive military training from al-Shabaab, including making flight and lodging reservations for travel to Kenya, where he planned to meet members of al-Shabaab for further travel to Somalia to join and train with the group,” the statement said.
Nasr repeatedly expressed his desire and plans to join al-Shabaab in communications with an FBI confidential source, the statement said. Nasr booked a flight from Egypt to Kenya for December 14 in an effort to enter Somalia to join the terrorist group, the statement said.
Prosecutors are charging Nasr with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organisation, for which he faces up to 20 years in prison, the statement said.
