The Justice Department unsealed a criminal complaint on May 15, 2026, charging Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, 32, an Iraqi national and alleged senior commander of Kata'ib Hizballah, with six terrorism-related counts for his alleged role in directing and coordinating nearly 20 attacks across the United States, Europe, and Canada [1]. Al-Saadi was arrested overseas in Turkey and transferred into U.S. custody before his initial appearance in the Southern District of New York, where a magistrate judge ordered him detained pending trial [1][2]. Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel were among the officials cited in connection with the announcement [1].
The complaint alleges that Al-Saadi, acting on behalf of Kata'ib Hizballah, an Iranian-backed militia designated as a foreign terrorist organization, coordinated planned attacks against Jewish institutions in New York, Los Angeles, and Scottsdale, Arizona [2][3]. According to prosecutors, he communicated directly with an undercover FBI officer while arranging these operations, unaware of the officer's identity [1][2]. The charges include providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, both of which carry substantial federal prison exposure under 18 U.S.C. § 2339B [1]. The complaint further alleges that Al-Saadi's activities extended beyond the United States, with coordinated plots reaching multiple European countries [3].
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York in conjunction with the Justice Department's National Security Division [1]. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn presided over the detention hearing [1]. The complaint, rather than a grand jury indictment, signals the case remains in early stages, and prosecutors will need to present the matter to a grand jury for a formal indictment within the applicable statutory timeframe absent waiver or other procedural developments.
Al-Saadi's transfer from Turkish custody reflects ongoing U.S. cooperation with foreign partners on counterterrorism renditions, a mechanism that has produced high-profile defendants in the SDNY over the past decade. If indicted and convicted on all counts, Al-Saadi would face the prospect of decades in federal prison. The broader investigation, which spans multiple continents and involves an extended undercover FBI operation, suggests additional charges or co-defendants could follow [2][3].