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US Teen Arrested for Attempting to Join IS Militants


FILE - Passengers check arrival and departure displays at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, Sept. 27, 2014.
FILE - Passengers check arrival and departure displays at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, Sept. 27, 2014.

A 19-year-old American has been arrested for allegedly attempting to travel overseas to join Islamic State militants.

Mohammed Hamzah Khan was taken into custody Saturday at O’Hare International Airport by the FBI as he attempted to fly from Chicago to Istanbul via Vienna, according to a press release issued Monday by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Khan was charged with one count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization operating inside Iraq and Syria. The state of Illinois resident appeared Monday morning before a U.S. magistrate judge and remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing Thursday.

Attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

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