Mondday, November 23, 2009
Charges against eight more suspects were unsealed Monday in the federal investigation involving missing Somali-Americans from Minnesota. But only one of the men is in custody.
The FBI has been looking into the recruitment and training of about 20 local men who apparently left Minnesota to fight for the terrorist group al-Shabaab.
"We have reached and indeed passed a tipping point of sorts," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Ralph Boelter.
The eight suspects face a variety of charges. Some are accused of attending terrorist training camps and fighting on behalf of al-Shabaab. Some are accused of financing travel to Somalia.
According to the charges, one suspect even misled members of the Minneapolis Somali community by telling them he was raising money for a student who wanted to study the Koran in Saudi Arabia. Investigators say the money actually went to airplane tickets for those making the trip to Somalia.
Federal authorities would not say if any of the eight men were masterminds or leaders in the recruitment scheme. That's something the local Somali community wants to know.
"We are eager to see evidence in court to tell us what happened," said Omar Jamal of Somali Mission to the United Nations.
Only one of the men, Mahamud Said Omar, is actually in custody. He was arrested earlier this month in the Netherlands. Authorities say Omar funded travel for young men to fly from Minneapolis to Somalia. He also allegedly visited an al-Shabaab safe house and provided hundreds of dollars for AK-47 rifles, according to the charges.
The other seven suspects are believed to be outside the United States, says U.S. Attorney B. Todd Jones. Many could be in Somalia, which complicates things.
"Since 1991, Somalia has in effect been a failed state," Jones said. "It's very difficult for the rule of law to take hold. As a result, it makes it very difficult for certain legal processes, like extradition."
According to charges unsealed Monday, one suspect, Cabdulaahi Ahmed Faarax, was a passenger in a rental car that was pulled over by the Nevada Highway Patrol in early October. Faarax had not yet been charged, so he was not arrested. Two days later, a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officer saw Faarax and another suspect cross the border into Mexico, according to the complaint. Jamal believes the men then flew to Somalia.
Six other suspects had already been charged in this case, bringing the total to 14. Four have already pleaded guilty and await sentencing.