Son of Al-Shabaab Leader Arrested and Deported from Costa Rica

Costa Rican authorities have arrested and deported Lutrnan Warsame Farah, the eldest son of the high-ranking senior leader of Al-Shabaab, a Somali terrorist group. He was detained in Costa Rica, where he had been staying in hotels using false identities and a Swedish passport belonging to someone else.

Farah was deported to Guatemala by National Intelligence and Security Directorate (DIS) agents but was sent back to Costa Rica. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had warned in February 2023 about the possible presence of an Al-Shabaab member in Costa Rica, and Farah is listed by the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center.

The DIS authorities revealed that Farah entered Costa Rica on January 4, 2023, using a Swedish passport with the name Luqman Abdl Aziz. He stayed in the country for a month before leaving through an irregular border crossing to Nicaragua.

Al-Shabaab aims to overthrow the Somali government and establish an Islamic state in the region. The group has carried out numerous terrorist attacks in Somalia and Kenya, including kidnappings, assassinations, and bombings. Farah’s father is linked to facilitating an Al-Shabaab terrorist attack in Sweden in 2011.

Hans Sequeira, DIS Director, explained that international regulations require Farah to be returned to the country where he entered legally, so he will be sent to Somalia. The arrest and deportation of Farah highlight the ongoing threat of terrorism and the need for international cooperation in combating it.

Source: ticotimes