In a significant development, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers have detained a Somali national, Said Jama Ahmed, who is reportedly connected to a past piracy incident and has an outstanding warrant for passport fraud. The arrest took place in North Dakota, where Ahmed now faces charges of illegal entry after being apprehended close to the US-Canada border earlier this month.

This arrest has drawn attention due to Ahmed’s alleged history. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), his fingerprints align with records from a 2012 US Navy operation targeting suspected Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden. This connection underscores the complexities involved in managing border security and tracking individuals with international criminal backgrounds.

In a statement, DHS acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis criticized current border policies under the Biden administration, suggesting that they have enabled individuals like Ahmed to enter and remain in the United States despite previous legal encounters. This incident has fueled ongoing debates about border security and immigration policy.

The sequence of events leading to Ahmed’s capture began on April 14 when an off-duty Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer noticed him walking southbound with a backpack several miles from the border. This sighting prompted a swift response, and within two hours, a US Border Patrol agent successfully located and detained Ahmed.

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 US 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.

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 US in September 2022 near San Luis, Arizona, and has had multiple prior encounters with law enforcement.

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 US 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.”