A man who falsely claimed to be an American citizen and was released from the custody of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol has been identified as a suspect in “multiple homicides” in Canada and is being sought by the same agency that initially set him free.
Naseem Ali Mohammed, 22, was one of four occupants of a Nissan Sentra that led law enforcement on an hour-long chase from the international border to a small embankment off U.S. Highway 93 outside Whitefish on Jan. 23. Border Patrol agents initially detained all four men, and three were later locked up in Flathead and Lincoln counties awaiting federal charges. Mohammed, however, claimed to be a United States citizen and agents “weren’t able to verify or disprove any of that at that time,” according to Border Patrol spokesman Lee Shepard.
“Later record checks revealed that what he claimed was incorrect,” Shepard said. “Once we figured that out, then we issued the request to locate him and followed up with criminal charges based on what we know now.”
Mohammed was in custody from the morning of Jan. 23 through the following evening but was released after fingerprint analysis revealed no criminal history or pending charges. Mohammed’s true identity was revealed with the assistance of Canadian authorities on Jan. 25, the day after his release.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office filed criminal charges against Mohammed on Jan. 26. He faces one count of improper entry by an alien. In court documents, Mohammed (aka Bati Ahmed) is identified as a permanent legal resident of Canada and Somali national.
Charging documents claim Mohammed is a “known gang member and suspect in multiple homicides spanning two (Canadian) provinces.” A story in the Vancouver Sun identifies Mohammed as a member of the Brothers Keepers gang who has made multiple intimidating social media posts and videos as part of a simmering gang feud, “advocating murder and celebrating hits on rivals,” one of whom ended up dead in early January.
Mohammed is 5-foot-5 with a medium build, black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a camouflage jacket, black pants and high-cut Muck boots. Anyone with information on Mohammed’s whereabouts can call the confidential Flathead Crimestoppers hotline at (406) 752-8477.
The three other men who were in the vehicle with Mohammed all made initial court appearances in U.S. District Court in Missoula on Jan. 29. One of those men, Afrah Abdi (aka Afrah Ali), was charged with second degree murder in Saskatchewan after allegedly shooting and killing a man outside a nightclub in August.