The U.S. Department of Homeland Security reported that U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers arrested Said Jama Ahmed, a Somali national with ties to piracy, after he illegally crossed from Canada into North Dakota.
According to a DHS press release, CBP took Ahmed into custody on April 14 after an off-duty Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer reported seeing him walking southbound with a backpack several miles north of the border. A U.S. Border Patrol agent later encountered Ahmed in North Dakota, where he is being held for illegal entry.
Ahmed faces an outstanding warrant for falsely making, using and forging a passport. He also had prior immigration encounters, including ICE detention in 2024, according to the same DHS release.
DHS said Ahmed’s fingerprints matched records from a March 2012 piracy incident in the Gulf of Aden. The department said the USS Halsey responded to a distress call from an Indian-flagged ship and that a Navy team encountered Ahmed and nine other armed individuals holding the ship’s crew hostage. The crew was later released.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded more than 2.4 million nationwide encounters in fiscal year 2025, according to CBP statistics.
CBP is responsible for securing U.S. borders while facilitating lawful trade and travel, according to their official website. The agency operates at and between ports of entry and works with domestic and international law enforcement partners.
