An Iraqi citizen living in Columbus, Ohio, has been charged with aiding and abetting a plot to assassinate former President George W. Bush.

Shihab Ahmed Shihab Shihab, 52, was arrested by FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force agents Tuesday morning and appeared in federal court at 2:30 p.m. the same day, according to a release from the Justice Department.

According to officials, Shihab originally entered the United States in September 2020 on a visitor visa, and in March 2021, he filed a claim for asylum with United States citizenship, which is pending review. He lived in both Columbus, Ohio, and Indianapolis and worked at markets and restaurants in both cities.

Shihab allegedly exchanged money with others to illegally bring foreign nationals into the country.

Officials said in Aug. 2021 Shihab intended to help who he thought was another Iraqi citizen enter the United States for a fee of $40,000. He allegedly gave specific instructions on how he would smuggle the person in after 60 days. According to court documents, Shihab accepted tens of thousands of dollars for the purported smuggling in October and Dec. 2021. The person was ficticious and the interaction was coordinated under the direction of the FBI.

The charging document also alleges that Shihab planned to smuggle four additional Iraqi foreign nationals into the country for the purpose of killing former President George W. Bush in retaliation of Iraqi deaths during “Operation Iraqi Freedom.” Shihab then allegedly planned to smuggle the four out of the United States via the United States/Mexico border after they carried out the assassination.

Shihab allegedly traveled to Dallas in Feb. 2022 to conduct surveillance of locations associated with the former president. In March 2022, it is alleged Shihab met with others in a hotel room in Columbus, Ohio, to look at sample firearms and law enforcement uniforms.

Officals said attempting to illegally bring an individual into the United States is a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Aiding and abetting the attempted murder of a former United States Official carries a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years in prison.