Guilty Plea Unsealed in New York Involving Ahmed Warsame, a Senior Terrorist Leader

Warsame was al Shabaabs Emissary to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and Arranged for al Shabaab to Purchase Weapons Directly from AQAP NEW YORK, NY Ahmed Abdulkadir Warsame has pled guilty to a nine-count indictment charging him with providing material support to al Shabaab and al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)two designated foreign terrorist organizationsas well as conspiring to teach and demonstrate the making of explosives, possessing firearms and explosives in furtherance of crimes of violence, and other violations. Warsame, a Somali national in his mid-20s, was captured in the Gulf of Aden between Somalia and Yemen by the U.S. military on April 19, 2011, and was questioned for intelligence purposes for more than two months. Thereafter, Warsame was read his Miranda rights, and, after waiving those rights, he spoke to law enforcement agents for several days. Warsame arrived in the Southern District of New York on July 5, 2011. According to the indictment, Warsames sworn guilty plea allocution before Judge McMahon, and other public information: From 2007 until April 2011, Warsame conspired with others, including American citizens, to provide material support to al Shabaab. He fought as a soldier on behalf of al Shabaab in Somalia in 2009 and provided other forms of support to the terrorist organization, including explosives, weapons, and training. In addition, Warsame possessed and used destructive devices, machine guns, and an AK-47 semi-automatic assault weapon in Somalia in support of al Shabaab. Warsame also brokered a weapons deal, arranging for al Shabaab to purchase weapons directly from AQAP. From 2009 until April 2011, he conspired with others, including American citizens, to provide material support to AQAP in the form of money, training, communications equipment, and personnel. While Warsame was in Yemen in 2010 and 2011, he received weapons, explosives and other military-type training from the terrorist organization. In addition, he possessed and used grenades and an AK-47 semi-automatic assault weapon in Yemen in support of AQAP. From 2010 until April 2011, Warsame conspired to teach and demonstrate the making of explosives and instruct other terrorists and would-be terrorists how to do so. Specifically, Warsame received training in explosives directly from members of AQAP, intending to share that training with al Shabaab when he returned to Somalia. Warsame was captured at sea by the U.S. in April 2011 on his way back to Somalia from Yemen. Al Shabaab was designated by the U.S. Department of State as a foreign terrorist organization in February 2008. AQAP was so designated in January 2010. Warsame pleaded guilty to all nine counts of the indictment with which he was charged, and he faces the possibility of life in prison.