A man from Jordan was arrested in New York City Saturday for attempting to smuggle six Middle Easterners into the United States by way of the Mexican border, according to the Justice Department.
Moayad Heider Mohammad Aldairi, who resides in Monterrey, Mexico, was taken into custody at John F. Kennedy International Airport after disembarking an international flight. Several federal agencies accuse him of conspiring with others to smuggle six Yemeni nationals from Mexico to Texas in return for money.
The criminal complaint states that the 31-year-old man started in the second half of 2017 making plans to get six people across the ocean to Central America and then up to the U.S.
“The arrest of Aldairi showcases HSI’s unique ability to coordinate investigative efforts across international boundaries with multiple countries and different agencies throughout the U.S. Government,” said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Shane M. Folden. “Attacking the leader/organizers of illicit international pathways for aliens from certain countries of interest will always be a priority of HSI.”
A judge signed off on an arrest warrant for Aldairi.
During his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marilyn D. Go in the Eastern District of New York on Monday, he was ordered to be sent to the Western District of Texas to face prosecution.
