FBI arrests Texas teen in alleged ISIS-linked plot targeting Rep. Keith Self

The FBI arrested a 17-year-old Texas boy accused of plotting to assassinate Republican Rep. Keith Self and carry out a terrorist attack in North Texas on behalf of ISIS, according to local reporting that cited federal law enforcement sources.

Dallas-Fort Worth ABC affiliate WFAA reported that federal agents arrested the teenager, who has not been publicly identified, on Oct. 5 after he acquired a firearm. Investigators also received information suggesting he may have planned to target Self at a local event Oct. 17, according to Breitbart. 

Sources told WFAA that federal agents had been monitoring the teenager after he recently became radicalized. He remains in federal custody, the station reported. 

Self, who represents Texas’ 3rd Congressional District, said in an Oct. 21 statement on X that he and his family are safe and that he is “grateful to the FBI and law enforcement for stopping this threat.” 

“Preserving our constitutional republic from radical Islam means accepting the costs that come with it — name-calling, threats, and worse,” Self added. “Our Founders believed this country was worth the sacrifice. I served 25 years in the military because defending freedom was worth the sacrifice. This only strengthens my resolve. I will not back down.”

Self has emerged as an outspoken opponent of Sharia law. In December 2025, he co-founded the Sharia-Free America Caucus with Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy, a group that opposes efforts to place Islamic law above the U.S. Constitution. Self said in an Oct. 13 Facebook post the caucus had grown to 70 members.

Self said in a June 29 press release that “Sharia and its principles stand in direct opposition” to the nation’s Christian foundations and “are wholly incompatible with the rule of law in the United States.”

On Sept. 3, the Republican congressman also introduced a concurrent resolution opposing Sharia law’s implementation in the U.S. He commended President Donald Trump for “recognizing the threat posed by Islamic political agendas” and urged Congress to defend the Constitution and put Americans first.

According to WFAA, Self’s district includes McKinney, where the City Council in August approved a site plan for a new McKinney Islamic Association mosque despite opposition from some residents. 

Asked by the outlet whether his positions on radical Islam might explain why someone would target him, Self said he suspected a connection but could not confirm one.

“If it's ISIS-related, you kind of have to believe that. I can’t prove that. I don’t know that for sure,” he said. “But you have to follow the [old saying] if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck.”

Self is seeking a third term and faces Democrat Evan Hunt in the Nov. 3 congressional election. The Cook Political Report rates the race “Solid Republican,” indicating that Self is strongly favored to retain his seat. 

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