A University of Maryland research assistant is under fire for making controversial remarks in a video where he appeared to suggest bombing parts of Los Angeles and Miami to target Cuban and Iranian Americans who support President Trump's military actions against Iran.
Djamil Lakhdar-Hamina, a far-left individual associated with the university, made these comments during a YouTube stream on March 1 hosted by Cosmonaut Magazine, a socialist publication.
In the video, Lakhdar-Hamina criticized members of the Iranian diaspora who back US military strikes on Iran before making a shocking statement proposing bombing American cities with immigrant communities.
"Seeing the Iranian diaspora just cheer on their country getting just bombed — there has to be an Olympic competition between the worst gusanos in the world on the podium, competing for gold," Lakhdar-Hamina said.
Referring to Cuban and Iranian Americans, he added, "Just bomb large swaths of LA and Miami. It'd be a better planet for it."
The term "gusanos," which means "worms" in Spanish, has been used as a derogatory term by the Cuban communist regime to describe Cuban exiles and critics of Fidel Castro.
Los Angeles and Miami are home to significant populations of Iranian and Cuban Americans who fled authoritarian regimes in their respective countries.
Critics condemned Lakhdar-Hamina's remarks as potentially inciting violence in major US cities, with some tagging the FBI and labeling the comments as "terrorism."
The controversial comments come at a time of heightened political tensions over US actions against Iran, creating divisions within some diaspora communities between supporters of aggressive US policies and those who fear escalation.
Lakhdar-Hamina's association with the University of Maryland as a research assistant for the Joint Quantum Institute has triggered calls online for the university to address the situation.
The research assistant has a history of making extremist statements and has identified as a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. In a video from September 1, 2025, also shared by Cosmonaut Magazine, he expressed support for Hamas as a resistance against what he called "Zionist barbarism."
Despite requests for comment, the University of Maryland, the Joint Quantum Institute, and the DSA have not responded to the controversy.
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