A 21-year-old Maryland man has been arrested and charged with attempting to provide material support to ISIS-Somalia, following a months-long undercover investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland announced. The suspect, Michael Sam Teekaye Jr., from Hanover, Maryland, was preparing to board a flight to Somalia via Turkey and Ethiopia, intending to join the terrorist group.
According to federal prosecutors and an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court, Teekaye had been in contact with a Somali ISIS fighter since early 2023. His communications revealed a man set on joining the extremist group to fight in Africa. His plan was clear: he would travel first to Turkey, then enter Ethiopia before crossing into Somalia, where he would link up with ISIS militants. Teekaye also had a contingency plan to carry out an attack on U.S. soil, targeting supporters of Israel if he could not join the terrorist group abroad. The undercover FBI officer he communicated with posed as an ally, gaining his trust. Teekaye expressed to an undercover FBI officer his desire to join ISIS in Somalia.
Investigators say over the following months, he took concrete steps to make this plan a reality. By May and June 2024, he was buying ammunition and practicing at a shooting range in Severn, Maryland, preparing for what he called “training.”
In July 2024, Teekaye attempted to buy a Kalashnikov K-9 9mm rifle, but the sale was blocked because he was on probation for a previous criminal offence. Undeterred, he pressed on with his plan to leave the U.S. and fight alongside ISIS.
By October, Teekaye had obtained an Ethiopian e-visa and had flight tickets from a Somali ISIS fighter. He would fly from Baltimore to Istanbul, then proceed to Ethiopia before crossing into Somalia. Just days before his flight, he sent the undercover FBI officer a photo of himself wearing a black mask and holding a machete, captioning it: “Abdullah the islamophobe slayer.”
On October 14, as Teekaye checked in for his flight at Baltimore-Washington International Airport, federal agents were waiting for him. After clearing security, he was arrested without incident. During his arrest, Teekaye reportedly told the FBI agents, “I’ll just get out in 20 years and do something here… Jihad will never stop.” Authorities allege that Teekaye kicked one of the arresting agents during the exchange.
Teekaye had been on law enforcement’s radar since 2019, at the age of 16, for expressing extremist views online. That year, he was hospitalized after threatening to “cut the head off” a classmate. Two years later, he was again arrested at an elementary school in Columbia, Maryland, where he had appeared wearing a black mask and carrying a large knife. He told police he intended to settle a conflict with another student.
Teekaye’s decision to join ISIS-Somalia is a major element of the case. The group’s activities in East Africa, particularly in Somalia, have been a focal point for U.S. counter-terrorism efforts. Though estimated to have only 100 to 400 fighters, ISIS-Somalia has established itself as a critical player in the global ISIS network. The faction, led by Abdiqadir Mu’min, operates from the Golis Mountains in Puntland and has been a key financial hub, moving money and resources to ISIS affiliates in Afghanistan and elsewhere. Despite frequent airstrikes targeting Mu’min’s leadership, including a U.S. attempt in May 2024, ISIS-Somalia continues to serve as a logistical hub for the broader ISIS network. The U.S. estimates that approximately 60% of its fighters are foreign recruits.
Teekaye’s arrest mirrors a similar case involving two Somali men in Tucson, Arizona, who were arrested in 2019 while trying to travel to Egypt to join ISIS. Like Teekaye, they were in contact with ISIS operatives online and intended to join the group abroad. After being stopped, they also discussed attacking U.S. targets if unable to leave the country. The two men pled guilty in August.
Teekaye now faces federal charges for attempting to provide material support to ISIS-Somalia. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.
