A Colorado teenager faces charges of providing material support to ISIS, according to the Justice Department’s announcement on Tuesday. The FBI encountered Humzah Mashkoor at the age of 16, acting on a tip from a social media company. Approximately a year later, he was arrested for allegedly attempting to board a flight in Denver to join ISIS.
Mashkoor, who went by the social media name “Humzah Afghan,” expressed frequent support for ISIS, as per the criminal complaint. He reportedly shared online videos of executions and revealed a desire to return to Afghanistan, where he claimed to have family in areas under Taliban control. Mashkoor’s statements, following the Kabul Airport bombing in 2021, led authorities to believe he shifted his support from the Taliban to ISIS.
In undercover communications with FBI agents, Mashkoor allegedly expressed readiness to do anything ISIS instructed, including participating in gun attacks. He reportedly took the oath to join ISIS in October 2022. Throughout 2023, leading up to his 18th birthday, Mashkoor discussed plans to travel and join ISIS, even contemplating marriage to someone sharing similar beliefs. He intended to donate all his money to ISIS in cryptocurrency before turning 18.
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Initially scheduled to travel on Dec. 11, Mashkoor postponed his plans to Dec. 18, the day of his arrest. As of now, no legal representative for Mashkoor has been located, and the court record does not list a lawyer.