Somali man arrested near U.S.-Canada border in fraud, piracy-linked case

Sunday April 26, 2026

Mogadishu (AX) — U.S. authorities say they have arrested a Somali national facing passport fraud allegations and suspected of ties to a 2012 piracy case, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

The man, identified as Said Jama Ahmed, was detained near the U.S.-Canada border after an off-duty Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer noticed him, officials said in a statement on Friday.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers arrested Ahmed on the evening of April 14, 2026, several miles south of the border. He is now being held in North Dakota on a charge of illegal entry.

Authorities allege Ahmed relied on forged passport documents. They also say his fingerprints match evidence collected by the U.S. Navy during a 2012 operation involving a hijacked Indian vessel in the Gulf of Aden. The alleged piracy connection has not been independently verified.

In a statement, Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said U.S. officials would keep working with international partners to identify and detain people viewed as security threats, pointing to the cooperation between American and Canadian authorities in Ahmed’s arrest.

According to DHS, Ahmed first entered the United States illegally in September 2022 near San Luis, Arizona. Immigration and Customs Enforcement later detained him in 2024 during an investigation into fraudulent documentation, and a federal arrest warrant was issued in April 2025.

Officials said Ahmed remained in the country until his recent arrest. They offered no additional details about possible removal proceedings or any broader criminal record.

The case highlights continuing U.S. concerns over cross-border movement and efforts to track suspects linked to older crimes, including piracy cases associated with the Horn of Africa.