Two Somali men, living in Tucson, were sentenced to 11 years and 8 years respectively last week, for conspiring to travel to the Middle East to Fight for ISIS.
According to a news release from the United States Attorney's Office, District of Arizona, Ahmed Mahad Mohamed, 27, and Abdi Yemeni Hussein, 26, conspired with each other to travel to Egypt for the purpose of fighting for ISIS in the Sinai Peninsula.
Starting in August of 2018, Mohamed sought out other ISIS supporters online, the news release said. Mohamed wanted to travel to ISIS-controlled territory to become "the beheading guy" and martyr himself. He indicated his friend, Hussein, also wanted to travel to ISIS territory abroad.
The two met in person in 2019 to discuss their plans.
Hussein told Mohamed that they would either reach ISIS territory "or we go to jail," and suggested attacking the White House if they were prevented from traveling, the news release said.
The two began making travel arrangements to join ISIS in June of 2019. They sold their cars and purchased plane tickets from Tucson to Cairo.
They checked into their flight at Tucson International Airport, went through security screening and walked to the departure gate with $10,000 for expenses and firearms, the news release said, but were arrested before they could board their flight.
Mohamed and Hussein pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Provide Material Support and Resources to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), on August 1, 2024, the news release said.
Mohamed was sentenced to 11 years and Hussein was sentenced to 8 years, followed by lifetime terms of supervised release.
The judge also ordered that both defendants be removed from the United States to Somalia following their prison sentences.
