EXCLUSIVE: Illegal Somali Pirate Arrested By CBP

The United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) arrested an illegal Somali national with a prior piracy-related history, according to a document obtained by the Daily Caller.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Said Jama Ahmed’s arrest on Friday, citing an outstanding warrant for allegedly falsifying, using, and forging a passport, as well as a fingerprint match linking him to a 2012 national security-related encounter tied to Somali piracy.

Said Jama Ahmed, an illegal alien from Somalia

On the night of April 14, an off-duty Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer initially reported seeing Ahmed walking southbound with a backpack several miles north of the U.S.-Canada border.

About two hours later, a U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) agent located Ahmed, made contact, and took him into custody. He is currently being held by USBP in the District of North Dakota on charges related to illegal entry.

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

Ahmed’s first recorded encounter with U.S. military and law enforcement dates back to March 10, 2012, when the USS Halsey, a guided-missile destroyer, responded to a distress call from an Indian-flagged vessel that had been hijacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden.

A Navy Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) team boarded the ship and encountered Ahmed along with nine other armed pirates who had forcibly seized the vessel and its crew. During the operation, U.S. personnel documented Ahmed’s identity, including taking his fingerprints.

DHS Acting Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Lauren Bis told the Caller she was grateful for the cooperation between CBP and Canadian authorities, while also criticizing Biden administration border policies for allegedly allowing an individual with prior law enforcement encounters to enter and remain in the United States.

Photo taken on January 4, 2010 shows an armed Somali pirate keeping vigil on the coastline at Hobyo, northeastern Somalia, while the Greek cargo ship, MV Filitsa is anchored just off the shores of Hobyo where it is held by pirates since being captured on November 10, 2009. AFP PHOTO/ MOHAMED DAHIR (Photo by MOHAMED DAHIR / AFP) (Photo by MOHAMED DAHIR/AFP via Getty Images)

“Weak Biden administration border policies allowed this illegal alien to enter and remain in the country despite his multiple law enforcement encounters,” Bis said. “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.”

Ahmed first entered the U.S. in September 2022 near San Luis, Arizona. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials later detained him in 2024 during a warrant-related search involving fraudulent documents.

Officials subsequently issued a full extradition warrant on April 24, 2025, according to the document reviewed by the Caller.

AUTHOR

Ashley Brasfield

Reporter

RELATED ARTICLES:

EXCLUSIVE: How Biden Admin Sowed Seeds For Somali Aid Fraud Scandal

Minnesotans Begged GOP Rep To Stop The Somalis Over A Decade Ago — He Told Them It Was Impossible

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republised with permission. ©All rights reserved.