A Pakistani doctor has been arrested in the U.S. state of Minnesota on a terrorism charge, after he told paid FBI informants that he had pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State extremist group and wanted to carry out lone wolf attacks in the United States, prosecutors say.
Muhammad Masood, 28, a former research coordinator at the prestigious Mayo Clinic, was arrested at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on March 19 by FBI agents and was charged with one count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
Prosecutors say Masood was in the United States on a work visa. They allege that starting in January, Masood made several statements to paid informants — whom he believed were members of Islamic State — pledging his allegiance to the group.
He also allegedly voiced his desire to travel to Syria to fight for IS and a desire to carry out lone wolf attacks in the United States.
Mayo Clinic spokeswoman Ginger Plumbo said Masood formerly worked at the medical center but “was not employed by Mayo Clinic at the time of his arrest.”