The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has recently arrested a Houston man who works as a graphic designer for the transnational terrorist group, Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). The man was revealed to have made significant pro-ISIS propaganda which was discovered after law enforcement authorities raided the criminal's home in Texas, seven years after he was first investigated.
Not only that, it was also revealed that the man previously expressed his interest to join and fight for the terrorist group, but also to bring the violent attacks of the group in his home state in the United States.
ISIS Graphic Designer From Houston Arrested by the FBI
The US Department of Justice recently shared a press release that detailed that the FBI recently arrested a 28-year-old man from Houston named Anas Said for working as a graphic designer for ISIS. According to the DOJ, Said was already indicted for his crimes, as well as his affiliations to the Middle Eastern terrorist group, with his home raided by the authorities which led to further discoveries.
Part of what the FBI found were electronic devices which further confirmed Said's affiliation to the group, including the work he accomplished to help spread ISIS' cause online. Meta previously shared with the FBI in 2023 that Said had communications with an ISIS graphic designer who is designated as its "number 2."
Said was monitored by the FBI since 2017 for the suspected affiliation of the Houston individual to the terrorist group, and he was interviewed several times by law enforcement officials in 2018 and 2019.
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Arrested ISIS Supporter Plans to Launch Attack in US
Prosecutors recently filed a motion in Said's case which detailed his involvement with ISIS, including his plans to launch an attack in Houston to further the terrorist group's tyranny against its enemies.
After being arrested, Said allegedly confirmed to the FBI that he took part in creating ISIS propaganda for the group. Moreover, Said also claimed that he previously considered purchasing a firearm which he would use to take down a US military personnel, but never got around to doing so.
ISIS and Their Reign of Terror and Misinformation
ISIS made its debut over a decade ago when it captured several parts of Iraq and Syria during its early reign of terror, with the militant group looking to expand its controlled territory in the Middle East. The group did not only rely on word of mouth and global reports to make their cause known, as it also previously resorted to creating online propaganda and misinformation, even going as far as using "Grand Theft Auto V."
Over the past years, ISIS members have also utilized social media campaigns to spread their work and invite more people to join their cause in causing terror not only to foreign adversaries but also to their fellow countrymen. ISIS also took advantage of the long-torn country of Syria which is known for still facing a civil war, but the group is yet to make its move on the recent aggressions in this battle.
During the coronavirus pandemic in early 2023, ISIS did not stop its acts of aggression despite the global health crisis, with American and British soldiers perishing from their attack in Iraq. However, people like Said are known for offering their support to the militant group by serving as an ISIS graphic designer operating out of the country, and his dedication to the cause almost led to an attack against his home city of Houston.
