PICTURED: 'Hitman' at Center of Probe Into Iran's Trump Election Assassination Plan — After We Revealed Horrific Kill-Plot Weapons Arsenal
Carlisle 'Pop' Rivera was allegedly hired to stalk and kill Donald Trump.
Nov. 9 2024, Published 11:15 a.m. ET
One of the alleged hitmen involved in Iran's assassination conspiracy against former President Donald Trump has been identified as Carlisle 'Pop' Rivera.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the FBI has charged Rivera, along with his accomplice Jonathon Loadholt, with conspiracy to murder the president-elect and an Iranian critic, Masih Alinejad.
Rivera became involved with the alleged plot when Farhad Shakeri hired him to run surveillance on a journalist.
Rivera, a 49-year-old welder from Brooklyn, New York, was allegedly brought into the plot by Farhad Shakeri, a middleman for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Shakeri had supposedly hired Rivera to surveil Alinejad, but the plan shifted to target Trump.
Alinejad, a vocal critic of Iran, was shocked by the news, stating: "I know the nature of the Islamic Republic, to kill anyone who dares to challenge them, who criticized the Islamic ideology."
The FBI discovered incriminating evidence, including assault rifles, during a search warrant. Rivera, Loadholt, and Shakeri allegedly shared messages and photos as part of their surveillance activities.
According to a recent report, they exchanged texts and voice messages detailing plans to assassinate Alinejad and later Trump.
Shakeri, who is now hiding in Tehran, allegedly orchestrated the assassination plots.
Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election.
Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized the severity of the situation, stating: "There are few actors in the world that pose as grave a threat to the national security of the U.S. as does Iran."
FBI chief Christopher Wray condemned the collaboration between the Revolutionary Guard and criminals, emphasizing that targeting Americans on U.S. soil will not be tolerated.
Donald Trump had already faced two assassination attempts.
Shakeri allegedly told the FBI in recorded phone calls that he didn't plan to carry out the operation and was told to delay the plot because Iran believed Trump would lose the election and then be easier to get to him without Secret Service detail.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard is now allegedly on the run in Tehran, and it's unclear when and how he left the United States.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, disturbing documents revealed details about the arsenal of weapons the assassins had at their disposal and the text messages they sent regarding the assassination plans, as well as voice messages.
U.S. prosecutors allege that Iran plotted to kill Trump.
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The news of the assassination conspiracy emerged shortly after sources within Trump's transition team disclosed that the President-elect would exert maximum pressure on Iran.
Trump, who had already faced two assassination attempts during his campaign, expressed concerns about threats on his life by Iran.
In response, the former president's staff heightened security measures, including requesting a ballistic glass shield at rallies.
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