The Justice Department announced Saturday that it had arrested three men — two in Colorado and one in New York — as part of an ongoing terror investigation.
In Colorado, the FBI arrested Najibullah Zazi, 24, of Aurora, CO — who is a legal permanent resident from Afghanistan — and his father Mohammed Wali Zazi, 53, also of Aurora and a naturalized U.S. citizen from Afghanistan.
In New York, FBI agents arrested Ahmad Wais Afzali, 37, of Flushing. He’s also a legal permanent resident from Afghanistan.
The men are being charged with making false statements to federal agents “in a matter involving international and domestic terrorism.” The men are scheduled to appear in federal court Monday — the Zazis in Colorado, and Afzali in New York. Each faces as many as eight years in prison on the false statements charge.
In a statement, David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security said:
The arrests carried out tonight are part of an ongoing and fast-paced investigation. It is important to note that we have no specific information regarding the timing, location or target of any planned attack. As always, however, the American people should remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to their local authorities.
The FBI is still investigating “several individuals in the United States, Pakistan and elsewhere, relating to a plot to detonate improvised explosive devices in the United States.”