Pakistani Man Admits ISIS Plot Targeting Chabad Headquarters

A Pakistani national pleaded guilty on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, in a Manhattan federal court to plotting an ISIS-inspired terrorist attack targeting a Jewish center in Brooklyn, U.S. officials said. Investigators did not publicly name the target, but in the criminal complaint Khan described it as “the ultra orthodox hasidic jews world headquarters,” a reference widely understood to point to Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters.

The case centers on a planned mass-casualty attack timed for the anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 massacre in Israel. Authorities said the plot was disrupted before the suspect could enter the United States, highlighting both the symbolic intent of the attack and the role of cross-border enforcement in preventing it.

Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 21, who was based in Canada, admitted to planning the assault after months of online activity supporting ISIS. According to the U.S. Justice Department, Khan communicated with individuals he believed were co-conspirators but who were in fact undercover law enforcement officers, discussing plans to obtain AR-style rifles, ammunition, and other weapons.

“New York is perfect to target Jews because it has the largest Jewish population in America,” Khan told the undercover officers, according to court documents.

Prosecutors said Khan initially considered multiple locations before shifting his focus in August 2024 to a prominent Jewish religious center in Brooklyn. The attack was intended to coincide with October 7, with officials saying the timing was meant to maximize casualties and psychological impact.

“Khan planned a mass shooting at a Jewish center in New York City, timed to coincide with the anniversary of the October 7th Hamas attacks, with the explicit goal of killing as many Jews as possible,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg.

According to investigators, Khan traveled from Toronto toward the U.S.-Canada border and was arrested on September 4, 2024, near Ormstown, Quebec, approximately 12 miles from the border, as he attempted to enter the United States with the help of a human smuggler. He was later extradited to the United States in June 2025.

In court, Khan acknowledged his intentions, telling the judge, “I intended to cross into the United States with the intention of killing Jewish people in Brooklyn,” while also describing the plan as a “terrible, extremely dangerous and morally reprehensible idea.”

He pleaded guilty to attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries and now faces a potential life sentence. Sentencing is scheduled for August 12, 2026.

U.S. officials emphasized that the plot was stopped before it could be carried out. “Muhammad Khan planned to carry out a horrendous attack on a venerated Jewish center in New York City in support of ISIS,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton, adding that law enforcement coordination ensured the suspect was intercepted before reaching the country.

The case highlights what authorities describe as a continued threat from individuals inspired by extremist propaganda online, even without direct operational ties to established terror organizations, as security agencies work to identify and disrupt such plots before they reach execution.