Man With Ties To 9/11 Hijackers Arrested
Alddin Taken Into Custody On Immigration Charges
POSTED: 2:41 pm PDT May 27, 2004
UPDATED: 4:54 pm PDT May 27, 2004
SAN DIEGO -- A 34-year-old Saudi national believed to have ties with two of the deceased Sept. 11 hijackers was arrested Thursday in San Diego by agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Hasan Saddiq Faseh Alddin, (pictured, left), a legal permanent resident of the United States, was taken into custody on immigration charges, resulting from two prior domestic violence convictions, according to Mike Unzueta, deputy special agent-in-charge for ICE investigations in San Diego.According to court records, Alddin pleaded guilty to battery charges against his wife, once in 1998 and again in 2002, in Vista Superior Court. In both instances, he was placed on probation, according to the court records, which listed a Vista address for Alddin.In one of the cases, a North County nonprofit organization that helps local Muslims sent a letter to the judge on the defendant's behalf, the court records show.The letter, signed by Toufeeq A. Khan of Vista, was sent on behalf of the group Masjid al-Ittehad, the records showed.Alddin was picked up near his residence in Vista, according to ICE. The agency said the arrest stemmed from an exhaustive investigation by San Diego's Joint Terrorism Task Force. "ICE agents in San Diego are working closely with our federal law enforcement partners to monitor and assess information related to potential terrorist threats in the United States," Unzueta said. "We're committed to taking immediate action on intelligence we obtain to prevent another terrorist attack on American soil."
Alddin is believed to have associated with hijackers Nawaf Alhazmi and Khalid al-Midhar (pictured, right). The two men were on board the American Airlines plane that crashed into the Pentagon. In September 2001, Alddin roomed with a close friend of the two hijackers. The roommate departed the United States the day before the 9/11 terrorist attacks.Alddin initially entered the United States on a student visa in August 1994. He married a United States citizen and became a legal permanent resident in 1999.ICE agents placed Alddin in deportation proceedings Thursday and he is being held without bond.
Hasan Saddiq Faseh Alddin, (pictured, left), a legal permanent resident of the United States, was taken into custody on immigration charges, resulting from two prior domestic violence convictions, according to Mike Unzueta, deputy special agent-in-charge for ICE investigations in San Diego.According to court records, Alddin pleaded guilty to battery charges against his wife, once in 1998 and again in 2002, in Vista Superior Court. In both instances, he was placed on probation, according to the court records, which listed a Vista address for Alddin.In one of the cases, a North County nonprofit organization that helps local Muslims sent a letter to the judge on the defendant's behalf, the court records show.The letter, signed by Toufeeq A. Khan of Vista, was sent on behalf of the group Masjid al-Ittehad, the records showed.Alddin was picked up near his residence in Vista, according to ICE. The agency said the arrest stemmed from an exhaustive investigation by San Diego's Joint Terrorism Task Force. "ICE agents in San Diego are working closely with our federal law enforcement partners to monitor and assess information related to potential terrorist threats in the United States," Unzueta said. "We're committed to taking immediate action on intelligence we obtain to prevent another terrorist attack on American soil." Alddin is believed to have associated with hijackers Nawaf Alhazmi and Khalid al-Midhar (pictured, right). The two men were on board the American Airlines plane that crashed into the Pentagon. In September 2001, Alddin roomed with a close friend of the two hijackers. The roommate departed the United States the day before the 9/11 terrorist attacks.Alddin initially entered the United States on a student visa in August 1994. He married a United States citizen and became a legal permanent resident in 1999.ICE agents placed Alddin in deportation proceedings Thursday and he is being held without bond. Copyright 2004 by TheSanDiegoChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
