An Uzbek man living in the United States pleaded guilty Friday in federal court in the southern state of Alabama to planning to kill US President Barack Obama.
Ulugbek Kodirov, 22, was arrested in an undercover operation while trying to obtain explosives and guns, the US Justice Department said in a statement.
US Attorney Joyce White Vance, who worked on the case, expressed "appreciation to the Muslim community of Birmingham, which was instrumental in helping law enforcement shut down this threat."
Kodirov pleaded guilty to one count of providing material support to terrorist activity, one count of threatening to kill the president and one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.
As part of his plea agreement, Kodirov admitted he had communicated "with an individual whom he believed to be a member of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU)," and that he "interpreted these conversations to mean that he should kill President Obama."
The US State Department considers the group a terrorist organization.
Kodirov also admitted to discussing with another person his desire to kill Obama and strategies for carrying out the assassination.