The Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested a 19-year-old man Saturday as he attempted to leave Chicago to join Islamic State, according to a criminal court complaint filed Monday.
Federal agents intercepted Mohammed Hamzah Khan at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport before he boarded a plane to Vienna. He had a ticket for onward travel to Istanbul, the complaint said.
While Mr. Khan was at the airport, other agents searched the home in the Chicago suburb of Bolingbrook, Ill., where Mr. Khan lived with his parents. They found documents that appeared to show support for Islamic State and suggested that Mr. Khan planned to join them, the complaint said.
A notebook listed steps Mr. Khan might take, including “(1) $4,000.00 ticket to Istanbul Cred,” and an itinerary for a multiple-stop bus trip from Istanbul to Urfa, Turkey, near the Syrian border, the complaint said. It also contained a hand-drawn map with arrows showing routes from the U.S. into Turkey and across the Syrian border.
Moreover, agents found a three-page letter in what appeared to be Mr. Khan’s handwriting explaining his decision to leave. The letter said he was traveling to Syria because there was an obligation to “migrate” to Islamic State and he was upset that his tax money was being used to kill fellow Muslims. Mr. Khan allegedly invited his family to join and urged them not to tell authorities.
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