Legal War on Terror Update: An Enemy Within Pleads Guilty

From PR/US Newswire:

A U.S. citizen, who trained to fight jihad along with elements of al Qaeda to establish an Islamic state in Somalia, has been convicted of receiving training from a foreign terrorist organization, Kenneth L. Wainstein, Assistant Attorney General for the National Security, Don DeGabrielle, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, and Roderick Beverly, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Houston Division, announced today.

At a hearing this afternoon, Daniel Joseph Maldonado, a.k.a. Daniel Aljughaifi, 28, pleaded guilty to the sole charge in an Information filed on March 30, 2007 and unsealed today. During the hearing, Maldonado admitted he had traveled from Houston to Africa in November 2005 and then on to Somalia in December 2006 to join the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) and elements of Al Qaeda to fight "jihad" against the Transitional Federal Government to establish an independent Islamic State in Somalia.

While in Somalia, Maldonado was provided an AK-47, equipped with military combat uniforms and boots in Mogadishu, and participated in training camps in Kismaayo and Jilib, Somalia. The camps included physical fitness, firearms and explosives training all in preparation to go to the front to fight for the ICU. Al Qaeda members were present at the training camps. ICU and al Qaeda, a recognized foreign terrorist organization, worked together to train fighters in the camps to fight jihad to establish an independent Islamic state in Somalia.

"Today's guilty plea is the first involving an American who joined forces with Islamic extremist fighters in Somalia and should serve notice to others who would travel overseas to wage violent jihad," said Kenneth L. Wainstein, Assistant Attorney General for National Security.

"For an American to travel overseas to train as a violent jihadist alongside al Qaeda elements who are focused upon threatening the security of our nation, is decidedly disturbing and definitely illegal," said U.S. Attorney Don DeGabrielle. "Maldonado's conviction should serve as a strong warning to any American who considers joining forces with terrorist groups here or abroad."

"The FBI will continue to work diligently with our law enforcement and intelligence community partners here in Houston, throughout the United States, and abroad to disrupt, dismantle and deter terrorist organizations operating in America and around the world," said Roderick Beverly, Special Agent in Charge of the Houston office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Maldonado was captured by the Kenyan military on Jan. 21, 2007 as he fled into Kenya to avoid Ethiopian and Somalian forces. Expelled by Kenyan officials, Maldonado was turned over to American authorities in February 2007. Accompanied by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Maldonado was returned to Houston to face criminal prosecution. Maldonado has remained in federal custody without bond since his return to the United States and will remain in custody pending sentencing.

U.S. District Judge Gray H. Miller, who presided over today's hearing and convicted Maldonado, has set sentencing for June 29, 2007 at 11:00 a.m. A conviction for receiving training from a foreign terrorist organization carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, without parole, and a $250,000 fine.

The investigation leading to charges in this case was conducted by the FBI Houston's Joint Terrorism Task Force particularly by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and officers of the Houston Police Department. This investigation culminated with the additional assistance of the Department of State and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Cobe.

The Jawa Report covered this one...