Former Navy Sailor Accused of Supporting ISIS

Bereen Dzayee, 25, of Lakeside, California, was arrested Friday on federal terrorism prices. Neighbors and a former classmate recognized him as a former U.S. Navy sailor. Prosecutors allege he proposed utilizing drones to goal U.S. Special Forces and helped fund a scheme involving rocket-propelled grenades and UAVs meant for assaults on American servicemembers abroad.

The FBI arrested Dzayee along with Bisaam Ghafoor, 21, of Leawood, Kansas, and Elias Shamsaldeen, 21, of Porterville, California. The three are charged with conspiring to present materials help to ISIS after allegedly spending more than a 12 months discussing assaults, raising money, and expressing help for the terrorist group.

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According to federal prosecutors, the defendants communicated through Discord chats, voice calls, and other messaging platforms from at least February 2025 through June 2026. Investigators allege they pledged allegiance to ISIS and mentioned touring abroad to combat on behalf of the group.

The criticism alleges the three males collectively supplied more than $2,000 to a particular person they believed was an ISIS member. Prosecutors say the money was meant to help buy drones and rocket-propelled grenades for assaults on U.S. servicemembers deployed abroad. Prosecutors also allege the group explored a cryptocurrency scheme to finance the operation. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a assertion:

“This administration has put terrorists, cartels, and gangs on notice. Today’s arrest of three individuals who allegedly conspired to provide material support to ISIS makes clear our commitment to taking down terrorist networks, anywhere. Thanks to the vigilance of the FBI, their alleged scheme was dismantled and further acts of violence against U.S. service members were prevented.”

Federal prosecutors allege Ghafoor said it could be “sick” to have his title written on a drone used in an assault against Americans. Prosecutors say his title was written on the projectile of one of the rocket-propelled grenades. They also allege he mentioned beheading a feminine soldier and said, “I wish I could kill 300,000,000 Americans.”

Shamsaldeen allegedly expressed a want to stab and injure a U.S. servicemember and contributed money toward buying drones. Dzayee allegedly instructed utilizing drones to goal U.S. Special Forces personnel. 

FBI Director Kash Patel said:

“These subjects allegedly swore allegiance to ISIS, plotted multiple attacks, and even targeted U.S. service members, but this FBI stopped them cold. The success of this op shows once again this FBI’s continued record of stopping terrorist attacks before they happen, simply the best way to defend the homeland, and shows we’ll stop at nothing to defend Americans from those who seek to do us harm.”

The arrests had been coordinated by Joint violent extremism Task Force groups in Kansas City, San Diego, Sacramento, Richmond, and Newark. 

Around 6 a.m. Friday, tactical brokers surrounded Dzayee’s home in a quiet Lakeside neighborhood. 

“We looked out — it seemed to me like it was a white van that pulled up and tactical guys jumped out and surrounded the house,” one neighbor told NBC 7. “Very odd in this neighborhood. So the neighbors started coming out. We didn’t approach, but we were watching.”

Neighbors said the looks of a Joint violent extremism Task Force operation immediately raised alarms in the usually quiet cul-de-sac.

“You immediately — you see Terrorist Task Force, your alarms go up,” the neighbor added. “I actually walked up to the FBI agent and asked if the house was going to blow up, whether the neighborhood should be concerned, and he assured me, ‘No, we’re arresting someone. That’s all we’ve got.'”

Agents spent a number of hours looking out the residence and interviewing Dzayee’s mother and father.

“He doesn’t really speak to folks around here, which is, again, unusual for this neighborhood,” one close by resident said.

All three defendants are charged with conspiring to present materials help to a designated international terrorist group. Each faces a most sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

Local media reported that pictures posted on a member of the family’s social media account seem to show Dzayee carrying a Navy sailor’s uniform. Multiple neighbors and a former classmate told the station that Dzayee had served in the army. 

The Pentagon has not publicly confirmed Dzayee’s service standing, and the federal criticism doesn’t tackle his army background. If that service is confirmed, it should raise questions that neither the Pentagon nor the Navy’s vetting course of can be in a position to set apart: how somebody who wore the uniform allegedly spent more than a 12 months planning to kill the people he served alongside.

Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration’s daring management, we’re revered on the world stage, and our enemies are being put on discover.

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