USA v. Shihab, Shihab Ahmed Shihab
Columbus, OH

Murder Plot

An Iraqi citizen in Columbus, Ohio, has been charged federally with an immigration crime and with aiding and abetting a plot to murder former U.S. President George W. Bush. It is alleged that Shihab exchanged money with others in an attempt to illegally bring foreign nationals to the United States. Shihab also allegedly planned to smuggle four additional Iraqi foreign nationals into the United States for the purpose of killing former President George W. Bush in retaliation of Iraqi deaths during "Operation Iraqi Freedom." Shihab then allegedly planned to smuggle the four out of the United States via the United States/Mexico border after they carried out the assassination. In furtherance of the assassination plot, Shihab allegedly traveled to Dallas in February 2022 to conduct surveillance of locations associated with the former President. In March 2022, it is alleged Shihab met with others in a hotel room in Columbus, Ohio, to look at sample firearms and law enforcement uniforms.