Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Another U.S. fugitive arrested, this time tied to terror

The Belize Police Department has bagged another U.S. fugitive. This time, however, instead of a tax dodger, bigamist or sex offender they hit the jackpot, nabbing a suspect with ties to the world of terrorism. Forty-one year old Ernest James Thompson, also known as James Ujaama and Bilal Ahmed, violated parole in the United States by leaving the country and a wanted poster was circulated through Interpol by U.S. law enforcement authorities. According to Assistant Police Commissioner Eduardo Wade, that's when our cops started looking.

A.P.C. Eduardo Wade, Belize Police Department
“As a result of this request the police conducted an investigation and some time around midnight last night or earlier this morning this fugitive was apprehended here in Belize City. He has since been taken out of the country. He entered Belize about ten days or so ago using a Mexican passport. During the operation Inspector Grinage, who headed the operation, received some injuries he was treated and released as this fellow attempted to escape during his apprehension.”

Leonard Hill, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy
“He was initially arrested in 2003 in connection with plots in the United States to poison water supplies and to do a number of other things. He subsequently pleaded guilty to charges dealing with Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and providing various types of material support to the Taliban as well in Afghanistan.”

Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy, Leonard Hill, indicated that although Thompson's immediate crime was a parole violation, he may in fact face additional charges and is also a material witness in other terror related cases. One indication of his status may be that federal officials sent down a private plane to bring him back to the States. Two Belizean police officers went along for the ride and presumably the traditional night on the town as a guest of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Channel5Belize

Hey a terrorist captured using standard police work, how did that happen?

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