DHS Announces Arrest of Somali Illegal Alien Pirate

WASHINGTON - Today, the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers arrested Said Jama Ahmed, an illegal alien from Somalia, who faces an outstanding arrest warrant for violations of falsely making, using, and forging a passport and for a positive fingerprint match to a 2012 national security threat withties to Somali piracy.

"Weak Biden Administration border policies allowed this illegal alien to enter and remain in the country despite his multiple law enforcement encounters,' said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. 'We are thankful for our hardworking U.S. CBP officers and Canadian officials for their cooperation in arresting this individual. DHS will continue to work to arrest criminal illegal aliens to protect the American homeland from all threats."

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Said Jama Ahmed

On the night of April 14, an off-duty Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer first reported Ahmed and observed him walking southbound while carrying a backpack several miles north of the U.S.-Canada border. Two hours later, a U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) Agent spotted Ahmed and confronted him and placed him into CBP custody.

USBP currently holds him in the District of North Dakota for illegal entry.

Ahmed has a long record of United States military and law enforcement encounters. On March 10, 2012, the U.S.S. Halsey responded to a distress call from an Indian-flagged ship reporting that pirates had hijacked it in the Gulf of Aden.

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.

Ahmed first entered the United States in September of 2022 near San Luis, Arizona. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials detained him in 2024 during a warrant search for fraud documents, where officials issued a full extradition warrant dated 4/24/2025.

The public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the  online tip form .