Terrifying arsenal of rockets ex-Navy sailor tried to buy for mass murder of Special Forces operatives

Nypost · 🇺🇸 public United States · Jun 07, 2026 · 722 words · By Jeremy Louwerse

Domestic Extremism Counter-Terrorism National Security

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What to know about Domestic Extremism

Metro exclusive details Terrifying arsenal of rockets ex-Navy sailor tried to buy for mass murder of Special Forces operatives See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 14

Techniques found 2

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center83%

Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Metro exclusive details Terrifying arsenal of rockets ex-Navy sailor tried to buy for mass murder of Special Forces operatives See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The California Post on GoogleA California ex-Navy sailor was among three alleged homegrown ISIS terrorists arrested after federal investigators uncovered what prosecutors say was a plot to fund the terror group and help carry out an attack on US Special…

Common ground

Bereen Dzayee, 25, of Lakeside near San Diego, Elias Shamsaldeen, 21, of Porterville in Tulare County, and Bisaam Ghafoor, 21, of Leawood, Kansas, were taken into custody Friday after a lengthy FBI investigation.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Appeal to Fear: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Domestic Extremism story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Ghafoor, who allegedly used the online name “Prince,” also handed cash to an undercover FBI employee during a meeting at a Kansas City mosque?
How does this story connect Domestic Extremism with Counter-Terrorism over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/06/07/us-news/californian-sailor-arrested-over-homegrown…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Appeal to Fear 80% confidence

Building support by instilling anxiety or panic in the audience.

Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to fear helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 14 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 4

info Single Source 4

check_circle Corroborated 4

help Insufficient Evidence 2

schedule

Claim 1: “Ghafoor, who allegedly used the online name “Prince,” also handed cash to an undercover FBI employee during a meeting at a Kansas City mosque”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 2: “Federal prosecutors allege the trio pledged allegiance to ISIS, sought to provide material support to the terrorist organization and discussed killing Americans.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the general plot is corroborated, the specific detail about 'pledging allegiance' and 'discussing killing Americans' is mentioned in one specific web search result describing the complaint, but the other provided 'Federal' search results are irrelevant (Federal Reserve, Federal Pizza).

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Jul 10, 2026 · Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System The Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States, provides the nation with a safe, flexible, and stable monetary and financial…
https://www.federalreserve.gov/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — First Housed in the restored 1950's First Federal Bank building designed by Al Beadle, Federal Pizza is a midcentury-meets-modern restaurant specializing in wood fired pizzas, pastas, and salads.
https://www.federalpizza.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Shop Apparel Shop Bags & Cases It's Federal Season Whatever pursuit drives you, make this Federal Season your best.
https://www.federalpremium.com/

help

Claim 3: “On Oct. 19, 2025, Shamsaldeen allegedly pledged allegiance to the leader of ISIS in a message later shared with the confidential source.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found after searching for this specific claim.

schedule

Claim 4: “Pentagon officials confirmed Dzayee served in the Navy in 2023 and separated in 2024.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 5: “The complaint alleges the group discussed acquiring weapons, including drones, grenades and rocket-propelled grenades, for use against American Special Forces operators.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources, including SOF News and reports on the Kansas complaint, confirm the group discussed acquiring drones and RPGs to target US Special Forces.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Georgian Special Operations Command (Georgian: სპეციალური ოპერაციების სარდლობა) are the special operations forces component of the Defense Forces of Georgia. They have been established to conduct…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgian_Special_Operations_Co…

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, commonly known as the Special Operations Forces (abbr. SOF; Russian: Силы специальных операций; ССО, romanized: Sily spets…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Operations_Forces_(Rus…

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM or SOCOM) is the unified combatant command charged with overseeing the various special operations component commands of the Army, Marine Corps, Na…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Special_Operatio…

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 6: “One image included in the complaint shows three RPGs and several firearms loaded in the bed of a pickup truck.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The search results provided for this claim are unrelated to the ISIS plot (mentioning flamethrowers at a school or CBP seizures), and do not confirm the specific image in the criminal complaint.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Jun 30, 2026 ... A school has more restrictions about weapons and he would then be guilty of charges for sure. 3d · 1 like. Charley Rowe.
https://www.facebook.com/WFMYNews2/posts/police-say-they-fou…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Jul 10, 2026 ... Authorities discovered 11 handguns, 10 magazines, a pistol grip and 21 rounds of ammunition concealed in the load. All weapons and ammunition ...
https://www.facebook.com/KFOXTV/posts/the-us-customs-and-bor…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Jan 27, 2026 ... The officer has been placed under restrictive custody and faces separate administrative charges, while authorities are also investigating the ...
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUCTVc7jAKD/?hl=en

check_circle

Claim 7: “Bereen Dzayee, 25, of Lakeside near San Diego, Elias Shamsaldeen, 21, of Porterville in Tulare County, and Bisaam Ghafoor, 21, of Leawood, Kansas, were taken into custody Friday after a lengthy FBI investigation.”

CORROBORATED

Three independent news sources (Fox News, and two other reports) explicitly name Bereen Dzayee (25), Elias Shamsaldeen (21), and Bisaam Ghafoor (21) and their respective locations as being taken into custody.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Bisaam Ghafoor, 21, of Leawood, Kansas; Elias Shamsaldeen, 21, of Porterville, California; and Bereen Dzayee, 25, of Lakeside, California, were arrested on a complaint filed in the District of Kansas …
https://www.foxnews.com/us/fbi-arrests-3-men-allegedly-pledg…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The others arrested were Bisaam Ghafoor, 21, of Leawood, Kansas; and Bereen Dzayee, 25, of Lakeside, California. The complaint, filed in the District of Kansas, alleged the men provided more than $2,0…
https://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/news/local/2026/06/0…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Bisaam Ghafoor, 21, of Leawood, Kansas; Elias Shamsaldeen, 21, of Porterville, California; and Bereen Dzayee, 25, of Lakeside, California, were taken into custody by FBI agents in Kansas City, Kansas,…
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jun/8/three-men-ar…

info

Claim 8: “The investigation began after a confidential human source working with the FBI encountered the group in an online social media forum in May 2025.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of general Wikipedia and contact pages for the FBI, which do not mention the specific date of May 2025 or the social media forum encounter.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — A leading American counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and criminal investigative organization, the FBI has jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crimes. [4][5] The FB…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Bureau_of_Investigatio…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Please contact your local FBI office to submit a tip or report a crime. Use our online form to file electronically or call the appropriate toll-free number.
https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The FBI investigates a broad range of threats including terrorism, cyber intrusions, public corruption, violent crime, and transnational organized crime.
https://www.fbi.gov/investigate

help

Claim 9: “On or about September 1, 2025, Ghafoor told the source that he planned to get a job so he could make money to purchase an AK-47 and ammunition to start training for his fighting with ISIS”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found after searching for this specific claim.

check_circle

Claim 10: “A California ex-Navy sailor was among three alleged homegrown ISIS terrorists arrested after federal investigators uncovered what prosecutors say was a plot to fund the terror group and help carry out an attack on US Special Forces troops using drones, grenades and rocket-propelled grenades.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent news sources (Google News, SOF News, and another web source) confirm the arrest of a California Navy sailor and two others for plotting to support ISIS and attack US Special Forces using drones and RPGs.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Charles Humphrey Keating IV (February 26, 1985 – May 3, 2016) was a United States Navy SEAL sniper who was killed in action against ISIS forces north of Mosul, Iraq, in 2016. He was posthumously award…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Keating_IV

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Edward R. Gallagher is a retired United States Navy SEAL. He came to national attention in the United States after he was charged in September 2018 with ten offenses under the Uniform Code of Militar…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Gallagher_(Navy_SEAL)

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the United States Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the United States Naval Special W…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Navy_SEALs

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 11: “Shamsaldeen allegedly sent $1,590 intended to support ISIS”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 12: “According to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Kansas, the three men allegedly spent more than a year communicating about extremist plans, including discussions about leaving the United States to join ISIS.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm a federal criminal complaint was filed in Kansas alleging the group communicated about extremist plans and joining ISIS.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Shamsaldeen provided financial resources for the purpose of purchasing drones, which, in turn, were to be used to attack and kill U.S. servicemembers deployed overseas. The defendants and others commu…
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/three-arrested-kansas-and-cal…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — According to a federal criminal complaint filed in Kansas, the trio allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS, explored providing material support, and communicated with what they believed was a jihadist. …
https://nypost.com/2026/06/14/us-news/california-man-accused…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The complaint alleges that Ghafoor said it would be “sick” if his name could be written on a drone used in an attack against Americans. Dzayee allegedly suggested that U.S. Special Forces personnel sh…
https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/2-california-men-ch…

schedule

Claim 13: “Ghafoor and Dzayee discussed sending funds through cryptocurrency, according to the complaint.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 14: “One of the RPGs displayed Arabic writing that prosecutors say translated to “Bisaam Shahzad Ghafoor.””

SINGLE SOURCE

The search results provided are general translation tools or unrelated articles; none confirm the specific Arabic writing on an RPG relating to Bisaam Ghafoor.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Simply upload your image or photo, select the text, and Yandex Translate will provide you with a quick and accurate translation in seconds. With support for over 90 languages, you can easily translate…
https://translate.yandex.com/en/ocr

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Taking care of your health just got easier – start here with my sponsor Zocdoc: https://Zocdoc.com/whyfilesPROOF THAT EVERYTHING - IS A SIMULATION (Including...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wMhXxZ1zNM

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Three US citizens, including two in California and one in Kansas, have been arrested and charged with conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). The suspec…
https://patriots.win/p/1ASsnESzSR/bisaam-ghafoor-21-of-leawo…

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.