DHS confirms arrest of Afghan national in Texas after posting video of himself making a bomb

An assistant secretary with DHS said Mohammad Dawood Alokozay posted a TikTok video showing him building a bomb aimed at the Fort Worth area
Texas police arrested Afghan evacuee Mohammad Dawood Alokozay after a TikTok video allegedly showed him making a bomb (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images, @TriciaOhio/X)
Texas police arrested Afghan evacuee Mohammad Dawood Alokozay after a TikTok video allegedly showed him making a bomb (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images, @TriciaOhio/X)


FORT WORTH, TEXAS: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that an Afghan man was arrested after he allegedly threatened to blow up a building. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin shared the information on Saturday, November 29.

According to court documents, Mohammad Dawood Alokozay has been charged at the state level with making a terroristic threat. He was taken into custody by the Texas Department of Public Safety and the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force.

His arrest came just one day after authorities detained Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the suspect accused of shooting two National Guard members in Washington, DC.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 19: Chicago police officers patrol downtown as the city celebrates the C
Mohammad Dawood Alokozay was arrested by Texas DPS and the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force(Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Officials say TikTok clip shows suspect claiming to build bomb for Fort Worth target



Tricia McLaughlin said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that Alokozay “posted a video of himself on TikTok indicating he was building a bomb with an intended target of the Fort Worth area.” She added, “He was arrested on Tuesday by the Texas Department of Public Safety and FBI JTTF and charged with making Terroristic Threats.”

There was no attorney information available for Alokozay at the time. McLaughlin also noted that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed a detainer on him. Records show that Alokozay was admitted to the United States as a lawful permanent resident on September 7, 2022.

According to DHS, he arrived through Operation Allies Welcome, the program that resettled Afghan nationals after the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan in the summer of 2021.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reacted to the arrest on Saturday, posting on X, "The magnitude of the national security crisis Joe Biden unleashed on our country over the span of four years cannot be overstated. President Trump has directed his entire team to continue rooting out this evil within our borders."



Arrest of Mohammad Dawood Alokozay adds to concerns after DC shooting 

Rahmanullah Lakanwal struggled for years with the violence he committed as part of a CIA-backed “Zero Unit” force in his home country.(DHS/x)
Rahmanullah Lakanwal struggled for years with the violence he committed as part of a CIA-backed 'Zero Unit' force in his home country (DHS/X)

Alokozay’s arrest came just one day before a separate shooting in Washington, where an Afghan national opened fire on two National Guard members. The gunman, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, fatally shot 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, while the second Guard member remains in critical condition.

Authorities said he had been living in Washington state. A Trump administration official noted that he applied for asylum in December of last year and was approved in April. Investigators reported that he had no known criminal history before the attack.

Following the DC shooting, Trump announced that his administration would “re-examine” all Afghan nationals who entered the United States during Joe Biden’s presidency. The country has paused issuing visas to anyone traveling with an Afghan passport.

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