Sowda Ahmed Mohamud, a Somali national, was convicted in a U.S. federal court after pleading guilty to charges of making false statements in an asylum application and giving false testimony in an immigration court.
Sowda was convicted of three counts of making false statements in an immigration application and concealing information that jeopardized the national security of the United States.
According to an official statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the charges stem from a years-long investigation by the FBI’s San Diego Field Office and the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF).
In March 2024, she illegally crossed the U.S. border, claiming to be an asylum seeker. However, an investigation by Border Patrol agents and the FBI revealed that she was a person associated with terrorist activities or individuals involved in them.
During her immigration case, she reportedly admitted to intentionally concealing that she had previously applied for permanent residency in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Brazil, saying she had never applied.
She also lied about her sister in the United States who was also awaiting a decision on her immigration status. Investigators also found that Sowdo had concealed her brother, Mohamed Ahmed Qahiye, a senior ISIS-Somalia official who was involved in terrorist activities, such as raising money, weapons, and working with foreign groups.
