Uzbek National Extradited to US to Face ISIS, al-Nusrah Support Charges
Davud Ansariy is accused of leading a Brooklyn-based network that raised funds and helped arrange travel for people seeking to join militant groups in Syria
Davud Ansariy extradited to the United States to face federal charges over alleged support for ISIS and al-Nusrah Front.
NEW YORK — September 24, 2026: U.S. authorities have extradited Davud Ansariy to the United States to face federal charges over alleged support for ISIS and the al-Nusrah Front.
Ansariy, a citizen of Uzbekistan and a naturalized U.S. citizen, also used the names “Kozimjon Gafurov” and “Kozim.” Georgia arrested him in August 2026. Authorities then extradited him from Tbilisi to the Eastern District of New York on September 23.
Prosecutors charged Ansariy with conspiracy and providing material support to ISIS and the al-Nusrah Front. Both groups had foreign terrorist organization status during the period covered by the charges.
Ansariy was scheduled to appear in federal court in Brooklyn before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lara K. Eshkenazi.
Alleged ‘Tea Party’ Network
According to the indictment, Ansariy led a group of radicalized individuals based mainly in Brooklyn.
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Prosecutors say the group helped people travel to Syria to join ISIS or the al-Nusrah Front. Members also raised money for aspiring fighters and their families.
The group called itself “chayxona,” an Uzbek word that means “tea house” or “tea party.”
Investigators say the network funded travel for at least three people who went to Syria in 2013. Prosecutors believe all three later died there.
The group also collected money for families left behind by fighters. It allegedly provided financial assistance to widows and relatives of people killed while fighting in Syria.
Ansariy Left US in 2016
Prosecutors say Ansariy left the United States for Turkey in May 2016. He bought a one-way ticket one day before his departure.
His departure came five days after authorities arrested one of his alleged co-conspirators on May 11, 2016.
Ansariy remained outside the United States for years. A federal grand jury in Brooklyn indicted him in November 2021.
Georgia later arrested him in August 2026. U.S. authorities then secured his extradition to New York.
Multi-Agency Investigation
The FBI investigated the case with help from several law enforcement agencies.
Those agencies included the New York Police Department, New York State Police, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Port Authority Police Department and U.S. Marshals Service.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also worked on the case. The FBI’s law enforcement attaché office in Tbilisi and Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office assisted with the arrest and extradition.
Federal prosecutors said the investigation demonstrates their continued efforts to track suspected terrorist support networks across borders.
Defendant Faces Up to 35 Years
If convicted, Ansariy faces a maximum sentence of 35 years in prison, according to the Justice Department.
The charges remain allegations. Ansariy is presumed innocent unless prosecutors prove the charges in court.
The Eastern District of New York’s National Security and Cybercrime Section is handling the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey R. Oken is leading the prosecution, with assistance from Justice Department and Eastern District attorneys.
