USCIS FDNS Referral Helps FBI/HSI Arrest 2 Naturalized Minnesotans Over Overseas Bombings, Kidnappings

USCIS says its Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS) unit uncovered information during a benefits check that it referred to HSI, aiding an FBI-led probe that resulted in Sept. 5 arrests of two naturalized U.S. citizens in Minnesota. A federal indictment alleges the men helped direct and fund kidnappings and bombings in Cameroon through the Ambazonia Defense Forces, with plots dating back to 2017. Charges include conspiracy to kill abroad, provide material support, launder money, and more—carrying potential life sentences. The case highlights how immigration screening is feeding federal enforcement actions and potential denaturalization proceedings.