U.S. soldier arrested in Hawaii for possible ties to ISIS

A soldier stationed at Schofield Barracks in Honolulu has been arrested and accused of having ties to the Islamic State, according to the FBI field office in the Hawaiian capital.

FBI officials in a statement identified the soldier as Ikaika Erik Kang, 34. The agency said he was arrested Saturday by an FBI SWAT team.

Kang was scheduled to appear in court Monday afternoon, the FBI said.

A criminal complaint filed with U.S. District Court in Hawaii says Kang swore allegiance to the Islamic State, tried to provide military documents to the terrorist group also known as ISIS, and tried to provide training, the FBI said.

Kang’s father, Clifford Kang, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that his son began studying the Islamic faith about two years ago during one of his deployments. Clifford Kang said he last saw his son when the younger Kang attended a barbecue at the father’s home in Kailua.

Clifford Kang, a Vietnam veteran, said he was shocked to hear about the charges against his son, who he said has been stationed at Schofield Barracks for three years and who joined the Army immediately after graduating high school in 2001.

“I never heard of him being with ISIS,” the elder Kang told the Star-Advertiser.

He has been deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq and Korea, the Department of Defense said.