Afghan national pleads guilty to online suicide bomb threat in Fort Worth

FORT WORTH, Texas - A 32-year-old Afghan national living in Fort Worth pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Oct. 6, to transmitting a threatening communication in interstate commerce after threatening to carry out a suicide attack.

TikTok bomb threat triggers joint federal investigation

What we know:

Mohammad Dawood Alokozay was charged in November 2025 after portions of an online video chat were recorded and posted to TikTok and other social media platforms.

According to court documents, Alokozay participated in a social media livestream on Nov. 23, 2025 with several people, including another Afghan national. During the exchange, which prosecutors said involved offensive insults tied to longstanding tribal animosity, Alokozay threatened to carry out a "suicide attack" using a "suicide bomb."

Federal agents and local law enforcement partners quickly identified and located Alokozay after members of the public reported the video, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.

No active threat or explosive materials

Dig deeper:

Authorities searched Alokozay’s home and cellphone and found no bomb-making materials. Investigators concluded that he did not intend to carry out an attack, prosecutors said. 

Alokozay admitted in court documents that he knowingly transmitted a threat to injure another person through interstate and foreign commerce.

Raybould said federal authorities would respond "swiftly and decisively" to threats involving suicide attacks or mass casualties.

Potential prison sentence and federal charges

Alokozay pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton. He faces up to five years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release.

Swift action on online threats

What they're saying:

FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock thanked the people who reported the video and said their actions helped investigators identify Alokozay and secure the guilty plea.

"The FBI takes online threats of violence seriously and will work with our law enforcement partners to hold individuals accountable for threatening the safety of others," Rothrock said.

What's next:

The FBI’s Dallas and Fort Worth offices investigated the case with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations Dallas, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Fort Worth Police Department.

A sentencing date has not been set.

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