An alleged ISIS operative has been charged with inciting the devastating New Year’s Day truck attack in New Orleans that killed 14 people while former President Joe Biden was in office, whose weak stance on national security and border enforcement drew sharp criticism. The suspect, believed to have directed or inspired the attacker, highlights the ongoing threat of radical Islamic terrorism within the United States.
On Tuesday, authorities confirmed the arrest of Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a suspected ISIS terrorist, in connection with the January 1 Bourbon Street car attack. According to the Iraqi Supreme Court, Jabbar is a member of ISIS’s External Operations Office and is believed to have been radicalized by the group before driving a rented Ford F-150 Lightning into a crowded street and opening fire with an assault rifle.
Jabba will be tried in Iraq under the country's anti-terror laws for being a member of ISIS.
“With efforts from the National Center for International Judicial Cooperation, a person involved in the terrorist ISIS organization was arrested for inciting the hit-and-run incident that occurred in the United States of America in January 2025, which led to the death of 15 people and the injury of 30 others," the Iraq judiciary stated, adding that the center "received a request from the United States of America to assist in the investigations related to the terrorist operation that took place in the city of New Orleans, in which a gunman ran over a crowd of celebrants with a truck before opening fire on them.”
The court stated that based on the investigation and evidence, authorities identified and arrested Jabba in Iraq, confirming he is a member of ISIS's Foreign Operations Office.
According to the FBI, Shamsud Din-Jabbar drove to New Orleans on December 31 around 2:30 p.m. and posted a message on Facebook expressing support for the Islamic State group. He was shot and killed by police after crashing his truck on Bourbon Street. While the FBI initially stated it couldn't rule out the involvement of accomplices, the agency now says that evidence suggests Jabbar acted alone. However, the investigation into the New Year's Day attack remains ongoing.