U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have detained a Somali national accused of illegal entry into the United States, with authorities linking him to a historic piracy case and an outstanding passport fraud warrant.
Identified as Said Jama Ahmed, the individual is currently in custody in North Dakota following his capture by agents near the U.S.-Canada border earlier this month.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), fingerprint records from a 2012 U.S. Navy operation in the Gulf of Aden—targeting suspected Somali pirates—matched Ahmed’s prints, as revealed in a Friday announcement.
DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis criticized the current administration’s border policies, stating they allowed Ahmed to enter and remain in the U.S. despite several encounters with law enforcement.
The incident involving Ahmed unfolded when, on April 14, an off-duty officer from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police observed him walking with a backpack a few miles north of the border, according to DHS reports.
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.”
