New Jersey Man Arrested in Kenya, Charged with Attempting to Aid al-Shabaab

Karrem Nasr, inspired by Hamas' attack on Israel, allegedly planned to join the Somalia-based terrorist group to wage jihad against America and its allies.

Karrem Nasr, a 23-year-old American citizen from New Jersey, was arrested in Nairobi, Kenya on December 14, 2023, and charged with attempting to aid al-Shabaab, a radical Islamic terrorist group based in Somalia.
Nasr was allegedly inspired by Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and had expressed his intent to join al-Shabaab to receive military training and engage in jihad.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Nasr had moved to Egypt in July 2023 and had repeatedly expressed his desire and plans to join al-Shabaab since at least November 2023.
Nasr was arrested before he could join up with the group in Somalia. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes FBI agents and New York Police Department detectives.

U.S. Department of Justice