Patterico's Pontifications

5/31/2010

Mexico-Bound Passenger Detained

Filed under: Air Security,Terrorism — DRJ @ 1:14 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

Last week the federal government issued a Terror Watch for a Somali who might try to enter Texas via Mexico:

“The Department of Homeland Security is alerting Texas authorities to be on the lookout for a suspected member of the Somalia-based Al Shabaab terrorist group who might be attempting to travel to the U.S. through Mexico, a security expert who has seen the memo tells FOXNews.com.

The warning follows an indictment unsealed this month in Texas federal court that accuses a Somali man in Texas of running a “large-scale smuggling enterprise” responsible for bringing hundreds of Somalis from Brazil through South America and eventually across the Mexican border. Many of the illegal immigrants, who court records say were given fake IDs, are alleged to have ties to other now-defunct Somalian terror organizations that have merged with active organizations like Al Shabaab, al-Barakat and Al-Ittihad Al-Islami.

In 2008, the U.S. government designated Al Shabaab a terrorist organization. Al Shabaab has said its priority is to impose Sharia, or Islamic law, on Somalia; the group has aligned itself with Al Qaeda and has made statements about its intent to harm the United States.”

Last night, a Paris-to-Mexico flight was diverted to Canada and a passenger on the U.S. no-fly list was detained. He may also be a Somali:

“Abdirahman Ali Gaall was arrested Sunday at Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, said Robert Gervais, an Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada spokesman. He was taken off and arrested under an outstanding warrant.

Gervais said details of the arrest would be made public at Gaal’s detention review hearing on Wednesday.

The Canada Border Services Agency confirmed Monday the passenger was on a U.S. no-fly list and said the man was known to them.
***
“He was calm as if he knew what was going to happen,” said Mauricio Oliver, a 36-year-old Mexican passenger. “They handcuffed him and they took him.”

Oliver said a flight attendant told him the man was from Somalia, but other passengers gave conflicting information about his nationality.”

I wonder if there is a connection between these stories.

— DRJ

3 Responses to “Mexico-Bound Passenger Detained”

  1. I work on the railroad in south Texas, and they haven’t told us squat. (Not that they ever do, wonder why not).

    BradnSA (980254)

  2. My family has traveled on Amtrak in South and West Texas, once going East to Florida and another time going West to California. There are places on the Western portion that are very accessible to immigrants crossing the border, so I’m surprised they haven’t said anything.

    DRJ (d43dcd)

  3. So when will Big sis bomb Somalia?

    Mitch Rapp (9f4d2e)


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