ICE removes convicted airline hijacker to Lebanon
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Lebanese man convicted of air piracy after he hijacked a commercial airline in 1996 was removed from the United States Sunday by officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
Saado Mohamed Ibrahim, 47, of Lebanon, was convicted of air piracy and sentenced to 20 years in prison on Aug. 18, 1997 after forcing his way into the cockpit of Iberia Flight 6621 en route from Madrid to Havana July 26, 1996, and threatening to blow it up. The DC-10, carrying 231 passengers and crew, landed in Miami and Ibrahim surrendered peacefully not long after the aircraft touched down.
"The arrest and removal of criminal aliens is at the absolute core of what we do," said ERO Miami Field Office Director Marc J. Moore. "ICE uses its unique immigration enforcement authorities to safeguard our communities from criminal aliens and others who pose a public safety threat."
Ibrahim was removed by ERO officers Sunday from the Jacksonville International Airport. Upon his arrival in Beirut, Lebanon, ERO officers transferred him into the custody of Lebanese authorities.
ERO coordinates the removal of criminals, foreign fugitives and others ordered deported. Last year alone, ERO removed 315,943 individuals from the United States. ICE is focused on smart and effective immigration enforcement that prioritizes its resources based on those who pose the biggest threat to national security, border security and public safety. ICE’s civil enforcement efforts are based on priorities set by the Secretary of Homeland Security in November 2014.
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