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Milwaukee Men Accused Of Trying To Join Islamic State Group

Each Could Face Up to 20 Years In Prison If Convicted

Two Milwaukee men have been charged in federal court with trying to join the Islamic State group.

A criminal complaint filed Friday charges 35-year-old Jason M. Ludke with attempting to support a foreign terrorist organization and 30-year-old Yosvany Padilla-Conde with aiding and abetting Ludke. Both men face up to 20 years in prison if they’re convicted.

Ludke and Padilla-Conde began corresponding on social media with an undercover FBI employee last month and said they planned to travel to Mexico, where they could get passage to Syria and join the Islamic State group in Iraq, according to the criminal complaint.

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Police arrested the two near San Angelo, Texas, on Oct. 5.

According to the criminal complaint, the Joint Terrorism Task Force in Milwaukee had been investigating the pair after Ludke allegedly stated his interest in traveling overseas to join the terrorist organization and Padilla-Conde allegedly indicated he would help, or go with Ludke. Prosecutors said foreign terrorist organizations pose a threat to United States interests abroad, including to military personnel.

It wasn’t immediately clear if the men had attorneys. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Milwaukee said the pair will likely appear in federal court within 10 days.

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