A Houston resident pleaded guilty on July 24 to concealing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and making false statements, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas.
Anas Said, 30, admitted in court that he is a pledged supporter of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and used multiple social media accounts to post, share, or disseminate ISIS propaganda. He also discussed ISIS-related content on Telegram, where he received feedback about media he personally created. In one message cited in court records, Said discussed sending his video clip to Sarh al-Khilafah Institution—also known as Tower of the Caliphate—a media entity identified as producing operational security tips and guides on chemicals and explosives while aggregating ISIS content online.
Said acknowledged knowing that Sarh al-Khilafah was working on behalf of ISIS. Before publishing his media content with them, Said removed his name from the video’s credits in order to conceal his support for ISIS. He also pleaded guilty to lying to law enforcement regarding a weapon he possessed and had discussed on social media. As part of his plea agreement, Said admitted saying: “I am thinking and hoping to kill the infidels with a weapon and as many people as possible in order to heal my heart.”
U.S. District Judge David Hittner accepted Said’s plea agreement. Sentencing is scheduled for October 16; at that time, Said faces up to ten years in federal prison for concealing material support for terrorism and up to five years for making false statements. Each count could also carry a maximum fine of $250,000.
Said remains in custody pending sentencing. The case was investigated by FBI Houston’s Joint Terrorism Task Force with assistance from local police departments as well as federal agencies including Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, IRS Criminal Investigation division, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Secret Service, Customs and Border Protection, Federal Air Marshals Service—and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Schammel and Liesel Roscher.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas employs more than 200 attorneys across offices in Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Laredo, McAllen and Brownsville; it covers 43 counties with a population exceeding nine million people while prosecuting federal crimes under direction from the Attorney General, according to its official website. Notable former leaders include Alamdar Hamdani (2022–2025), according to its official history page.