Minnesota man facing terrorism charges

A Minnesota man is facing terrorism charges for allegedly aiding ISIS in Syria, prosecutors announced Wednesday.

According to prosecutors, Abdelhamid Al-Madioum was vacationing with his family in Morocco in 2015 when he secretly booked a flight to Istanbul, and then traveled to Syria. He’s accused of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

Al-Madioum, a native of Morocco and naturalized U.S. citizen, was 18 when he left for Syria. During his family’s 2-month vacation in Syria he said he was not feeling well before dinner and the next day, he was gone, leaving behind only his cellphone and passport. 

According to a search warrant obtained by the Associated Press, investigators found handwritten notes in his home detailing how he could route money through various accounts and a rehearsed backstory. Al-Madioum was reportedly recruited by ISIS through propaganda on Twitter.

According to the indictment, between July 8, 2015, through March 15, 2019, Al-Madioum provided material support and resources, including personnel and services to ISIS.

Al-Madioum was detained by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) along with other ISIS fighters and was then transferred to FBI custody.