Pakistani national accused in NYC terror plot against Jews agrees to extradition

MONTREAL — A Pakistani national from Ontario wanted in the United States on terror-related charges for allegedly targeting Jewish institutions in New York City has agreed to be extradited.

During a brief Superior Court hearing Thursday in Montreal, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, consented to being sent to the U.S. to stand trial. Khan has been jailed since his arrest on Sept. 4 in Ormstown, Que., at the behest of U.S. authorities.

U.S. officials have charged him with one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to a terrorist organization.

Authorities allege that when Khan was arrested in Ormstown, located by the U.S. border, he was on his way to carry out a mass shooting at a Jewish centre in Brooklyn around Oct. 7 to mark the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel.

He had been living in Mississauga, Ont., according to court documents. Officials have said he arrived in Canada in June 2023 on a student visa granted in May of that same year.

The RCMP’s Ontario division, which investigated Khan, said the accused will be extradited in the coming weeks.

Federal Justice Minister Arif Virani must still decide whether to surrender Khan to the United States, a Justice Department spokesman said, declining to comment further.

According to documents filed by the U.S. prosecutor summarizing the case against Khan, the FBI became aware of the accused after a paid informant observed his pro-Islamic State musings on Facebook in October 2023 under the name “Shahzeb Jadoon” and began chatting with him.

Khan was unaware that his discussions with the informant were being documented under the direction of the FBI.

U.S. officials alleged Khan shared Islamic State videos and a PDF ebook with a detailed history of the terror group. They say Khan had been participating in a pro-Islamic State group chat that discussed how to carry out co-ordinated attacks in the United States, Pakistan and India, among other areas. Two undercover officers were part of that chat, posing as fellow travellers.

In July 2024, Khan allegedly started to discuss creating “a real off-line cell” of Islamic State supporters and told an undercover agent he “had already begun plans to carry out an attack” against “Zionist Jews.” Over the following days, he began to elaborate his plan to carry out a mass shooting using AR-style rifles.

By mid-August 2024, Khan had told an undercover agent that he was readying to vacate his apartment and begin his journey to the U.S., having organized travel with a human smuggler. On Aug. 21 he decided that New York City, with its large Jewish population, would be his target.

“Brothers … we are going to NYC to slaughter them,” Khan allegedly wrote in the group chat.

Khan got in a vehicle in Toronto at about 5:40 a.m. on Sept. 4 and switched cars in Napanee, Ont., and again in Montreal before he was arrested at about 2:45 p.m. in Ormstown.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 20, 2025.

Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press