A Tucson man arrested on terrorism charges called himself an "American jihadist" who supports ISIL (also known as ISIS) and wanted to perform "a MO," likely meaning a martyrdom operation, according to newly released court documents.
Mahin Khan, 18, was taken into custody Friday. In a court document released Wednesday, authorities allege that Khan stated in an April 16 telephone conversation that Mission Bay, California, would be "a pretty good target," and also mentioned an Air Force recruitment center in Tucson.
In the same call, Khan said he had reached out to a foreign terrorist organization, TTP (Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan) asking for a pressure-cooker-bomb recipe, according to the document.
The court document is a statement from the FBI to the Arizona Attorney General's Office laying out probable cause to justify filing terrorism charges against Khan.
In other communications, via texts and emails on other dates in 2016, Khan asked a correspondent named Abid Mansoor for weapons, saying he needed assault rifles and pistols โ "wanna take out marines and jews," according to the court document.
He also asked for "cookie recipes,"ย likely meaning construction instructions for an improved explosive device, the court document alleges. He described himself as 17 and wrote that he was "no jok," and attached a photograph of himself wearing sunglasses, the document states.
Mansoor isn't described in the document. One full page of the three-page document was blacked out before a judge authorized its release to public view.
Khan was arrested after a joint operation between the Arizona Attorney Generalโs Office and FBI, said Mia Garcia, a spokeswoman for the attorney general.
โKhan allegedly conspired to commit acts of terror against government buildings in Pima and Maricopa County,โ Garcia said Friday.
He was being held in the Maricopa County jail on no bond on one count each of conspiracy to commit terrorism and terrorism, she said.
His next court appearance is set for Tuesday.
