The US Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, on Wednesday, arrested two men for impersonating Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents for more than two years. Using their position at the federal agency, these men got close to other federal agents, including those in Secret Service in DC, using financial favours.
The two men, both US citizens, have been identified as Arian Taherzadeh and Haider Ali. In a shocking revelation, Ali, who had multiple Pakistani visas, claimed to have links to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency, reported CNN News. While the claim remains unverified, it is to be taken with utmost seriousness. Even the federal court said that the claim must be taken "literally and seriously."
According to Asst. U.S. Attorney Joshua Rothstein, Ali travelled to Doha several times in 2019, had two Iranian visas with one entry and three Pakistani visas. Ali, 35, also had a Pakistani National Card in Wahington and several incriminating documents were also seized by the FBI.
Using financial favours to infiltrate Secret Service
Taherzadeh, 40, and Ali impersonated as DHS agents and used their position to infiltrate the Secret Service by extending lavish financial favours to the agents. According to an affidavit accessed by CNN, the federal agents in DC were provided with expensive apartments and even offered them to buy a weapon for a Secret Service agent assigned to first lady Jill Biden.
Both the imposters gave lavish apartments costing over $40,000 a year each to a DHS employee and US secret service members. Taherzadeh allegedly provided a penthouse apartment costing $40,200 to a Secret Service agent assigned to protect the White House complex for free, as per an affidavit.
During the search of five residences and three vehicles, the FBI recovered body armour, gas masks, zip ties, handcuffs, equipment to break through doors, drones, radios and police training manuals, Rothstein said.
The motivation behind the impersonation and infiltration attempt is yet to be unravelled. Even Ali's mother was clueless as to her son's profession. In an interview with Reuters, Ali's mother Zahida, who lives in northern Virginia, said: "I don't know what he's doing. He doesn't tell me, he keeps to himself. Someone must have trapped him. He always tries to help people."
She further added that Ali has four children and the youngest is only one month old.
"The Secret Service has worked and continues to work with its law enforcement partners on this ongoing investigation. All personnel involved in this matter are on administrative leave and are restricted from accessing Secret Service facilities, equipment and systems. The Secret Service adheres to the highest levels of professional standards and conduct and will remain in active coordination with the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security," the Secret Service said in a statement to CNN.
