A U.S. House report has linked several New Jersey residents to a “persistent terror threat” to the United States, involving foreign jihadist networks and homegrown violent extremists. The “Terror Threat Snapshot,” released by the House Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence on October 3, outlines multiple cases where extremist groups radicalized individuals both in the U.S. and abroad, leading them to plan, support, or perpetrate terrorist attacks.
Since April 2021, over 50 cases across 29 states have been reported, involving individuals attempting to assist terror groups like ISIS, Hezbollah, and Al Qaeda or receive military training from them. Among those cases, three involved New Jersey residents.
One of the most prominent cases is that of Hadi Matar of Fairview, who was charged with attempting to murder British-American author Salman Rushdie in 2022. Federal officials have since charged Matar with engaging in terrorism and providing material support to Hezbollah.
Two other New Jersey residents, Alexei Saab of Morristown and Seema Rahman of Edison, were also named in the report. Saab is currently serving a 12-year sentence for scouting U.S. landmarks for terror attacks and receiving military-style training from Hezbollah. His involvement with the terror group began in 1996, and he continued his activities while living in the U.S., even obtaining citizenship under false pretenses.
Rahman was charged in 2022 for conspiring to provide funding to ISIS. Along with three other individuals, she allegedly used GoFundMe campaigns under the guise of charitable causes to funnel money to the terror group.
The report also highlighted increasing apprehensions of individuals on the terrorism watch list at U.S. borders. While attention has focused on the Southern border, a significant number of apprehensions have occurred at the Northern border, with 321 individuals detained so far in 2024.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also issued a separate “Homeland Threat Assessment” earlier this month, warning that both foreign and domestic terrorists will likely attempt to exploit the upcoming election cycle to further their agendas. The New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness echoed these concerns in its March report, citing homegrown violent extremists and white supremacists as greater threats to the state than foreign terror organizations.
The DHS report further warned that global conflicts, such as the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, may inspire homegrown violent extremists to plan or carry out attacks within the U.S., especially targeting mass gatherings and critical infrastructure.