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Six of the original 11 missing Egyptian students are now in custody

Washington, D.C. August 10, 2006
  • FBI National Press Office (202) 324-3691

Washington, D.C. – Federal agents have today arrested three additional Egyptian students who were part of a group of 11 Egyptian students that entered the United States and failed to show up for a scheduled academic program at Montana State University. Thus far, agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the FBI have apprehended six of the original 11 Egyptian students who were the subject of a BOLO issued to law enforcement last week.

This morning, ICE agents located El Sayed Ahmed Elsayed Ibrahim, a 20-year-old Egyptian national, and Alaa Abd El Fattah Ali El Bahnasawi, a 20-year-old Egyptian national, at a residential location in Dundalk, Maryland. Both individuals were taken into custody on administrative immigration violations as out-of-status students.

Also this morning, the Chicago Police Department detained Ahmed Mohamed Mohamed Abou El Ela, a 22-year-old Egyptian national, at O’Hare International Airport as he was attempting to book a flight to Montana. FBI and ICE officials were notified immediately. ICE agents later took custody of El Ela on an administrative immigration violation as an out-of-status student.

Yesterday, the Manville ( New Jersey) Police Department took custody of Mohamed Ragab Mohamed Abd Alla, a 22 year-old Egyptian national, and Ebrahim Mabrouk Moustafa Abdou, a 22 year-old Egyptian national. FBI and ICE agents responded immediately. Both individuals were taken into custody on administrative immigration violations as out-of-status students.

In addition, FBI and ICE agents yesterday arrested 21year-old Egyptian National Eslam Ibrahim Mohamed El-Dessouki in Minneapolis. The arrest occurred without incident. El-Dessouki was taken into custody on an administrative immigration violation as an out-of-status student.

Preliminary investigation by FBI and ICE agents has not identified any credible or imminent threat posed by any of the eleven Egyptian students. The FBI and ICE investigation is ongoing, as we remain interested in locating and interviewing the other five Egyptian students who failed to report for their academic program at Montana State University.