Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Two Men With Alleged Terror Ties Arrested At JFK Airport
By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 6, 2010
Modified Jun 6, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 6, 2010
Modified Jun 6, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Last night, the FBI arrested two NJ men who were about to board separate flights to Cairo at JFK Airport for "conspiring to commit an act of international terrorism" with a Somalian group connected to al Qaeda. According to the Star-Ledger, Mohamed Hamoud Alessa, 20, of North Bergen, and Carlos Eduardo Almonte, 26, of Elmwood Park "were arrested by teams of state and federal law-enforcement agents who have been investigating the pair since October 2006, according to the officials, who requested anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss the operation publicly."
It's suspected that the pair were heading to Somalia to join the violent extremist group Al-Shabaab and kill American troops. Around 10:30 p.m. last night, the FBI raided Alessa's house in North Bergen with North Bergen police and the NYPD. At 11 p.m., authorities raided Almonte's house: "A couple who appeared to be family members showed up around 11:30 and greeted the agents as if they knew them. The older man was escorted into the house and could be seen embracing one of the FBI agents in the kitchen."
Neighbors saw agents and officers removing boxes from the houses; one said of Almonte, "I'm shocked. He graduated in our school system. It really hurts. We don't need it." The Star-Ledger says, "Officials said the New Jersey suspects were believed to have led fairly normal lives in North Jersey but then started acting strangely and gravitating toward anti-American sentiment. Their families aided in the investigation after growing worried about the beliefs and actions of the men, officials close to the probe said."
The US Attorney's office said, "The arrests do not relate to any known immediate threat to the public or active plot against the United States."
Tagged
al-qaeda
Al Shaheeb
Carlos Eduardo Almonte
jfk airport
Mohamed Hamoud Alessa
somalia
terrorism
violent extremism
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Queens man charged with hate crime at Jewish-owned bagel shop displaying Israeli flags
Prosecutors say the 22-year-old damaged property outside the Fresh Meadows shop twice in May.
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Oct 19, 2026 at 6:07 p.m. ET
MTA train yards are in such bad shape plants are growing out of the roof, watchdog says
In some cases, the damage was “clearly not recent."
By
Stephen Nessen
News
MTA train yards are in such bad shape plants are growing out of the roof, watchdog says
In some cases, the damage was “clearly not recent."
By
Stephen Nessen
High-ranking NYC officials to testify in ex-buildings boss Eric Ulrich's corruption trial
By
David Brand
Mamdani launches new team to help NYers keep SNAP, Medicaid benefits
By
Caroline Lewis
Riders at 53rd St. station where man was fatally shot say they worry about gun violence
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .