A Mississippi couple arrested over the weekend for allegedly attempting to fly to Syria to join the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) terror network has been denied bail, authorities reported on Tuesday.
Jaelyn Delshaun Young, 20, and 22-year-old Muhammad Oda Dakhlalla were arrested Saturday morning at an airport near Columbus, Mississippi, for attempting to join ISIS forces in Syria, federal authorities said. The pair was officially charged with attempting and conspiring to provide material support to a terrorist group.
During a two-day hearing in Oxford, Mississippi, prosecutors revealed a large amount of communications allegedly showing Young’s explicit plans to join the jihad. They urged the judge to deny bail based on the apparent sincerity in her communications.
Consequently, on Tuesday, U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Allan Alexander agreed to deny bail for the accused couple.
The judge said that even though neither of them had a criminal record, their desire to join the jihad was “probably still there.”
Federal officials accused Jaelyn Young of being the mastermind behind the wild plan. Officials say the couple had told airport officials that they were recently married and intended to honeymoon in Syria, but in reality, the pair intended to join the terrorist outfit’s holy war.
The FBI said that email communications between Young, the daughter of a Vicksburg police officer, and ISIS terrorists showed her plans to become a medic for the terrorist army. Young allegedly also told the terrorists she could help them with Internet propaganda.
Muhammad Dakhlalla’s relatives told authorities that they were “absolutely stunned” that he had entered into the plot.
The couple had been under investigation for planning to join ISIS since at least May.
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