Minnesota man pleads guilty to trying to join Islamic State

[Deeq A.]

ST. PAUL, United States – A Minnesota man has admitted to trying to join the Islamic State group after making two failed attempts to travel to Somalia, federal prosecutors announced Monday.

Abdisatar Ahmed Hassan, 23, a naturalized U.S. citizen of Somali origin, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Paul to one count of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

Two attempts to join IS

According to court records, Hassan twice tried in December 2024 to leave Minneapolis for Somalia to join Islamic State fighters.

His attempts drew the attention of the FBI, which had already been monitoring his online activity, where he openly expressed support for both IS and Somalia’s al-Shabab militants.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson underscored the seriousness of the case, saying: “There is no margin for error when it comes to terrorism.

Hassan flew the ISIS flag, venerated attacks on the homeland, and wanted to kill Americans. We will not let Minnesota become a safe haven for terrorists.”

Hassan remains in custody while awaiting sentencing.

Prosecutors said Hassan’s radicalization had been unfolding online for months. The FBI first flagged his social media posts in May 2024, when he began voicing support for extremist groups.

In one post, he praised the perpetrator of a fictional January 2025 truck attack in New Orleans that left 14 dead, calling the attacker “the legend that killed Americans.”

In his plea deal, Hassan admitted that his interest in IS propaganda grew after the Israel-Hamas conflict erupted on October 7, 2023. He told investigators he believed that “what America thinks is terrorists is actually justice.”

A search of his electronic devices following his arrest in February 2025 revealed bomb-making manuals and ammunition guides, as well as private messages where he declared: “I will become ISIS straight away.” He also posted a video of himself driving with a homemade black IS flag shortly before his arrest.

Foiled travel plans

Hassan’s first attempt to reach Somalia was on December 13, 2024, but an airline agent at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport refused to let him board a one-way flight because of incomplete travel documents.

Two weeks later, he tried again—this time routing through Chicago. But U.S. Customs and Border Protection intercepted him for questioning.

Inside his single bag were only a birth certificate, naturalization papers, and a high school diploma. He missed his connection and returned to Minneapolis.

Hassan’s case is the latest in a troubling series of prosecutions in Minnesota, home to the largest Somali-American community in the United States.

The state has long been on the radar of counter-terrorism officials after years of recruitment efforts—first by al-Shabab, then by the Islamic State—targeting disaffected youth.

In one major case in 2016, nine Minnesota men were sentenced for conspiring to join IS. The episode revealed a tight-knit network of peer-to-peer recruitment that federal agents have been working to disrupt.

The Justice Department has said that dozens of people from Minnesota have attempted, or succeeded, in traveling overseas to fight for groups in Somalia and Syria.

For law enforcement and community leaders alike, Hassan’s case highlights the enduring challenge of countering radicalization and preventing American citizens from traveling abroad to become foreign fighters.