A United Kingdom citizen, Ali Mohammed Ali Abdullah, pleaded guilty and was sentenced on April 23 in U.S. District Court in Bangor for entering the United States without inspection.
U.S. Magistrate Judge John C. Nivison sentenced Abdullah, 18, to time served. He will be turned over to immigration authorities for removal proceedings.
According to court records, Abdullah and three other men crossed the border from Quebec into Franklin County during the early morning hours of April 3. Their entry point was near the Saint Zacharie, Maine port of entry staffed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents. After leaving the woods, they walked east along Golden Road where passersby noticed them and alerted an agent with U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Office of Field Operations (OFO). The OFO agent informed the U.S. Border Patrol station in Jackman about the sighting.
A U.S. Border Patrol agent and an OFO agent located Abdullah and his companions shortly after receiving the report and took them into custody without incident. When questioned about their citizenship, all four stated they were citizens of the United Kingdom. They were transported back to Jackman Border Patrol station for further investigation which revealed that Abdullah had entered unlawfully seeking work in the United States.
The case was investigated by multiple agencies including U.S. Border Patrol (USBP), Office of Field Operations (OFO), Homeland Security Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation as part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative focused on combating illegal immigration and related criminal activities.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes such as this case while also handling civil matters involving government interests across Portland and Bangor offices according to its official website. The office serves as chief federal law enforcement agency in Maine according to its official website, building alliances with local agencies according to its official website and working toward enhancing quality of life through law enforcement efforts according to its official website.
