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US Citizen Who Joined Islamic State Indicted in Texas

Masood Farivar

   A U.S. citizen who joined the Islamic State terrorist group in Syria in
   2014 and was captured by pro-American Kurdish forces earlier this year
   has been returned to his home state of Texas, where he faces charges of
   supporting a terrorist organization, the Justice Department announced
   Thursday.

   According to prosecutors, Omer Kuzu, who was born in Dallas, allegedly
   received weapons training in Iraq and later moved to Syria, where he
   was paid $125 a month to repair communications equipment for front-line
   IS fighters.

   Kuzu, 23, is the sixth U.S. citizen or permanent resident to be
   indicted in the United States on charges of supporting IS overseas.

   A federal grand jury in northern Texas recently indicted Kuzu on one
   count of traveling to Syria and conspiring to provide material support
   to IS. He made an initial court appearance before a magistrate judge
   Tuesday in northern Texas. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in
   prison.

   "The United States continues to demonstrate its commitment to holding
   accountable those who have left this country in order to join and
   support ISIS," John C. Demers, assistant attorney general for national
   security, said in a statement.

   According to a criminal complaint, in October 2014, Kuzu and his
   brother traveled from Houston to Istanbul, Turkey, then were smuggled
   into Syria to join IS forces. Kuzu later told investigators that he
   also traveled to Mosul, Iraq, where he received weapons training from
   IS.

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