Jihadist Arrested in Chicago

Jamshid Muhtorov, of Aurora, Colorado, was arrested at Chicago O'Hare Airport on charges of working with and providing materials to a terrorist organization. His organization of choice is the Islamic Jihad Union, an extremist group based out of Pakistan that according to the Department of Justice "adheres to an anti-western ideology, opposes secular rule in Uzbekistan, and seeks to replace the current regime with a government based on Islamic law. A group that has committed attacks upon coalition forces in Afghanistan as well as suicide bombings in Uzbekistan. Muhtorov is a refugee from Uzbekistan and has gone by various aliases.

The FBI had been monitoring and investigating Mutorov for awhile, but moved in as he was making his way overseas to join the IJU. He was not planning on any sort of attacks against targets within the United States, but to join them in their fight there. "Muhtorov allegedly has sworn allegiance to the IJU, stating he was ready for any task, even with the risk of dying. The alleged activities of Muhtorov highlight the continued interest of extremists residing in the United States to join and support overseas terrorists," U.S. District Attorney for Colorado John Walsh said in a news release. If convicted Muhtorov will face up to fifteen years in prison and a fine of up to two hundred fifty thousand dollars.