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U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers have detained a Somali national, Said Jama Ahmed, who is reportedly connected to a previous piracy incident and is wanted for passport fraud.
Ahmed was taken into custody in North Dakota after being caught by agents near the U.S.-Canada border earlier this month, charged with illegal entry.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Friday that Ahmed’s fingerprints were linked to records from a 2012 U.S. Navy operation targeting suspected Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden.
“The lax border policies of the Biden administration have permitted this illegal alien to enter and stay in the country despite multiple interactions with law enforcement,” stated DHS acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis.
Ahmed remains in custody in North Dakota facing charges of illegal entry, following his recent apprehension at the U.S.-Canada border. (Department of Homeland Security and Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu Agency)
According to DHS, Ahmed was first spotted April 14 by an off-duty Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer walking southbound with a backpack a few miles north of the border.
About two hours later, a U.S. Border Patrol agent located Ahmed and took him into custody.
A fingerprint match tied Ahmed to a 2012 incident in which the USS Halsey, a Navy guided-missile destroyer, responded to a distress call from an Indian-flagged vessel hijacked by pirates, according to DHS.
DHS says Ahmed was first spotted April 14 by an off-duty Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
A Navy boarding team encountered Ahmed and nine others who were allegedly armed and holding the ship hostage.
“A Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) team conducted boarding operations and encountered Ahmed and nine other armed pirates who had taken the Indian ship hostage by force, where the Navy then logged Ahmed’s fingerprint,” DHS said.
Authorities say Ahmed entered the U.S. in September 2022 near San Luis, Arizona, and has had multiple prior encounters with law enforcement.
“Weak Biden administration border policies allowed this illegal alien to enter and remain in the country despite his multiple law enforcement encounters,” DHS acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement. (@ushomelandsecurity via YouTube)
In 2024, Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained him during a search for fraudulent documents.
A full extradition warrant was issued in April 2025, according to DHS.
“We are thankful for our hardworking U.S. CBP officers and Canadian officials for their cooperation in arresting this individual,” Bis added. “DHS will continue to work to arrest criminal illegal aliens to protect the American homeland from all threats.”