Security camera footage from June 14, 2024, captures Michael Sam Teekaye Jr. at a shooting range in Severn, Maryland. He was honing his skills with a rifle, preparing to join ISIS-Somalia. Federal agents nabbed Teekaye in October 2024 as he tried to depart for Somalia to unite with the terror group.
Washington, DC (AX) — A 21-year-old from Maryland finds himself in hot water, shackled by charges of trying to back ISIS-Somalia. The U.S. Attorney’s Office from Maryland revealed the conclusion of a lengthy undercover probe. Michael Sam Teekaye Jr., stemming from Hanover, Maryland, schemed to hop on a flight to Somalia via Turkey and Ethiopia, with aspirations of joining the extremist clique.
Feds laid bare, via court documents, that Teekaye had dialed into a friendship with a Somali ISIS combatant since the dawn of 2023. His exchanges depicted a fellow bent on jetting to Africa for the militant cause. His blueprint was as clear as daylight: Istanbul first, then dipping into Ethiopia before waltzing into Somalia for a rendezvous with ISIS warriors. Should his overseas plans fail, he intended to stage an assault on U.S. soil, aiming at Israel’s fans. An undercover FBI officer, posing as a pal, won his trust. Teekaye voiced his yearning to the undercover agent, eager to join ISIS in Somalia.
Investigators say he spared no effort in actualizing his dream over several months. From May to June 2024, he hoarded ammo and did laps at a shooting range in Severn, Maryland, calling it his “training.”
The summer of 2024 found Teekaye trying to purchase a Kalashnikov K-9 9mm rifle. His plans stumbled when the sale was grounded due to a past legal hiccup. Unrelenting, he pressed on with this audacious plot to exit the U.S., eager to fight alongside ISIS.
By the time October rolled around, Teekaye had secured an Ethiopian e-visa and travel tickets from a Somali ISIS associate. His itinerary was set: hop from Baltimore to Istanbul, then proceed to Ethiopia before sneaking into Somalia. Days before takeoff, he sent an undercover agent a snapshot of himself donning a black mask, brandishing a machete, with the tagline: “Abdullah the islamophobe slayer.”
Instagram tidbits from Teekaye’s page display him mastering firearms at a nearby range. The posts, from earlier in 2024, were pieces of his preparations to join ISIS-Somalia. His social influencer persona did him no favors, being shadowed by authorities, which led to his eventual capture at Baltimore-Washington International Airport in October 2024.
On October 14, as Teekaye checked in for his flight, federal forces awaited his arrival. Clearing security posed no barriers, but arrest soon followed. In a statement showcasing defiance, Teekaye reportedly told FBI agents, “I’ll just get out in 20 years and do something here… Jihad will never stop.” During the arrest, he allegedly gave one agent a good kick.
Teekaye’s rants and extremities have kept law enforcement alert since his youthful age of 16 in 2019. That year, hospitalization followed his threat to “cut the head off” a schoolmate. Two years later, he faced arrest again at a Maryland elementary school, brandishing a mask and cutlery, gearing to resolve a student spat.
Delving into ISIS-Somalia play revealed it’s not just smoke. The group’s antics in East Africa, notably in Somalia, have been central to U.S. counter-terrorism missions. With an estimated cadre of 100 to 400 fighters, the group stands as a pivotal node within ISIS realms. Guided by Abdiqadir Mu’min from the Golis Mountains in Northeastern State, it acts as a key financier, shuffling money and arms to affiliates in Afghanistan and beyond. Despite repeated U.S. airstrikes targeting Mu’min, including an attempt in May 2024, ISIS-Somalia remains a backdoor logistical pillar for the vast ISIS network, where approximately 60% of its combative ranks are foreign nationals.
Teekaye’s arrest echoes the 2019 tale of two Somali men in Tucson, Arizona, intercepted while attempting to fly off to Egypt for ISIS ties. Like Teekaye, they formed online links with ISIS reps, planning to join the cause abroad. Arrest dashed this dream, leading them to consider domestic plots. They admitted guilt in August.
Facing federal indictments, Teekaye stands accused of trying to bankroll ISIS-Somalia. A conviction could seal his fate with a 20-year prison sentence.
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
