Somali Woman Sentenced to Prison and Deportation in U.S. for Fraud and Concealing Terrorist Ties

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In a case involving national security concerns, a Somali citizen has been convicted in the United States for attempting to defraud the asylum system and concealing her ties to a terrorist organization.

According to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in California, a federal court in San Diego sentenced Souda Ahmed Mohamed, a 27-year-old Somali national.

The verdict followed her guilty plea to three counts of providing false information in immigration documents and perjury during an immigration hearing as part of an asylum fraud case.

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Illegal Entry and Security Investigation

Court documents reveal that the case originated from a year-long investigation by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in San Diego.

Souda Mohamed was arrested on March 20, 2024, by U.S. Border Patrol after illegally entering the country and seeking asylum. Routine checks linked her identity to that of a person suspected of terrorist involvement.

A comprehensive investigation involving family members both in the U.S. and abroad produced evidence used in immigration proceedings. Based on those findings, the immigration judge denied her asylum request and ordered her deportation.

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Details of Asylum Fraud

In her plea agreement, Mohamed admitted to:

• submitting false claims, including stating she had never applied for legal status in another country, when she had in fact done so in the U.K., the U.S., and Brazil;
• deliberately concealing the existence of her biological sister living in the U.S., who was awaiting a decision on her own immigration case.

Family Ties to ISIS-Somalia

Further investigations revealed that Mohamed had knowingly hidden the fact that her brother, Mohamed Ahmed Qahiye, is a senior figure in ISIS-Somalia.

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Qahiye was designated in November 2022 by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control as a “Specially Designated National” for his role in supporting and financing ISIS-Somalia.

Documents show that he and the group’s leader, Sheikh Moamen, requested a shipment of weapons from Yemen (reportedly via the Houthis), including crates of AK-47 ammunition, RPGs, and Russian-made machine guns.

Sentencing and Deportation

Souda Mohamed had been detained in an immigration center for 15 months before formal charges were filed. She was sentenced to 48 days in prison, credited against time already served, and will be deported from the United States.

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Protecting the Immigration System

U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon stated: “We are committed to preserving the integrity of our immigration courts by prosecuting those who attempt to manipulate asylum laws with false claims.”

He added that the case “demonstrates our resolve to remove anyone who may pose a national security risk due to ties to foreign terrorist organizations.”

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FBI official Mark Dargis noted the case reflects efforts to “confront any individual potentially linked to terrorist entities and the lengths our teams go to in ensuring community safety.”

Shawn Gibson of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) emphasized: “Submitting fraudulent immigration documents is a serious crime that undermines the legitimacy of our legal system. We will continue working with our partners to pursue those who attempt to commit immigration fraud.”

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