West African convicted for having ties to terrorism deported by ICE
NEW YORK — A 39-year-old West African man convicted of having ties to terrorism was deported Tuesday to Guinea-Bissau by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers assigned to the New York Field Office.
Mamadu Serifo Biai (a/k/a Saliu Sisse) was convicted May 19 of conspiracy to provide material support to the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), a foreign terrorist organization; conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism; conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States; and conspiracy to acquire and transfer anti-aircraft missiles. That same day, he was sentenced to 32 months imprisonment. He was credited for prison time he served during his criminal proceedings.
Biai was paroled into the United States April 4, 2013, to face narco-terrorism charges.
“This case is a testament to the U.S. government’s resolve in ensuring that criminals linked to terrorism feel the full weight of the law,” said Christopher Shanahan field office director for ERO in New York. “We commend the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, ICE’s National Security Law Section and the men and women of ERO who effected Biai’s removal. This was truly a team effort.”
ERO coordinates the removal of criminals, foreign fugitives and others ordered deported. Last year alone, ERO removed 315,943 individuals from the United States. ICE is focused on smart and effective immigration enforcement that prioritizes its resources based on those who pose the biggest threat to national security, border security and public safety. ICE’s civil enforcement efforts are based on priorities set by the Secretary of Homeland Security in November 2014.
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