24-year-old Sinh Vinh Ngo Nguyen, who also goes by Hasan Abu Omar Ghannoum, was arrested this morning. Nguyen is from Orange County.
Garden Grove man indicted for trying to join al-Qaida. Sinh Vinh Ngo Nguyen was arrested and in court this afternoon
— Richard Winton (@LAcrimes) October 11, 2013
accused Al Qaeda recruit in OC was getting on the bus in Santa Ana bound for Mexico when FBI swooped in.
— Richard Winton (@LAcrimes) October 11, 2013
More via KTLA:
He was charged with knowingly attempting to provide material support to al-Qaida and making false statements in an application for a passport.
The indictment alleges that Nguyen made the false statements about his name, date and place of birth, and his parents’ names and places of birth, in order to facilitate an act of international terrorism.
The L.A. Times’ Richard Winton notes:
Friday's arrest isnt anything new for OC. the region has an interesting history of al Qaeda ties with Adam Gadahn a
— Richard Winton (@LAcrimes) October 11, 2013
Via the L.A. Times:
Nguyen is not the first Orange County link to the group. Adam Gadahn, who once lived as Adam Pearlman, is a prominent translator and spokesman for the group and has been charged in his absence with treason. A relative of Osama bin Laden’s former bodyguard was located in Tustin in 2009.
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