Police arrested 23-year-old Karrem Nasr on December 14 in Nairobi, Kenya and transported him to the US on December 28, the statement said on Friday.
“Nasr took specific steps to join and receive military training from al-Shabaab, including making flight and lodging reservations for travel to Kenya, where he planned to meet members of al-Shabaab for further travel to Somalia to join and train with the group,” the statement said.
Nasr repeatedly expressed his desire and plans to join al-Shabaab in communications with an FBI confidential source, the statement said. Nasr booked a flight from Egypt to Kenya for December 14 in an effort to enter Somalia to join the terrorist group, the statement said.
Prosecutors are charging Nasr with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, for which he faces up to 20 years in prison, the statement said.
* Al-Shabaab and Al-Qaeda are terrorist organizations banned in Russia and many other countries around the world.