The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has rejected CNN’s report linking Asif Merchant, a Pakistani man, to an alleged plot to assassinate former President Donald Trump and other US officials. Despite CNN’s claims, based on unsealed court documents, the FBI stated that no evidence has been found to connect Merchant to the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The White House also confirmed that no evidence has been found against Merchant, who remains in federal custody. Prosecutors allege that Merchant planned to leave the country before carrying out the assassination but was arrested on July 12 while attempting to flee.
Merchant, 46, is accused of traveling to New York City and collaborating with a hitman to execute assassinations in late August or early September. However, the supposed hitmen were actually undercover law enforcement officers.
Court documents reveal that Merchant expressed a desire to target individuals in the US who he claimed were “hurting Pakistan and the world, [the] Muslim world.” The investigation is ongoing, and the FBI’s denial of CNN’s claims raises questions about the accuracy of the report.
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