JACKMAN, Maine (Diya TV) — U.S. Border Patrol agents have detained four British nationals accused of illegally crossing into the United States from Canada through a remote wooded area in northern Maine, according to federal court records. Authorities said the men entered the country on April 3 near Somerset County, avoiding a designated port of entry. The case has drawn widespread attention online and sparked debate over border security and immigration policies.
The four men — Ali Mohammed Ali Abdullah, 18; Hameed Mohammed Nagi, 21; Ibrahim Ayyub Khan, 27; and Mohammed Sultan Saleh, 22 — face charges of entry without inspection. Border Patrol agents located the group after two maple sugar workers reported seeing four men walking south along the Golden Road, a remote logging route near the Canadian border. The workers suspected the men were heading toward the United States and alerted authorities.
Agents later found fresh footprints along the dirt road and tracked them to a wooded area. There, officials said they discovered the four men attempting to hide behind roadside vegetation. Officers arrested the group without incident and transported them to the Jackman Border Patrol Station for processing.
All four men appeared in federal court and pleaded not guilty to the charges. A judge ordered them held without bail pending trial. Under U.S. law, the defendants remain presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
According to court filings, the men claimed they were unaware they had crossed into the United States. Some told agents they were hiking in the area. Abdullah declined to answer questions, while others denied intentionally entering the country. Investigators said physical and digital evidence contradicts those claims.
Authorities cited several pieces of evidence that suggest the crossing was planned. Agents tracked footprints from the U.S. side back into Canada, placing the group within a few hundred yards of an official border crossing. Officials also reviewed immigration records and found no evidence that the men had legally entered the United States on the day in question.
A cellphone belonging to Saleh reportedly contained internet searches conducted shortly before the crossing. These searches included directions from the user’s location to Bangor and Boston, as well as queries about the nearby St. Zacharie border crossing. Investigators also recovered GoPro footage from the group. In the recording, Saleh can be heard telling others they had reached U.S. soil. The video includes celebratory remarks, suggesting awareness of the crossing.
Authorities said the group may have coordinated a pickup after entering the United States. Agents later found a Nissan vehicle on the Golden Road that had run out of fuel. Two U.S. citizens were inside the vehicle. Investigators discovered a loaded 9mm handgun under the driver’s seat. One occupant reportedly admitted the driver planned to pick up individuals near the border. Text messages on the driver’s phone appeared to reference coordination with one of the detained men, according to the affidavit.
The case has spread widely on social media, prompting strong reactions from commentators and political figures. Some posts questioned the motives of the men, while others used the incident to criticize immigration policies in both the United States and the United Kingdom.
The debate comes amid broader discussions about border enforcement. Federal officials have emphasized recent declines in illegal crossings, particularly along the southern border. The Department of Homeland Security said apprehensions have dropped significantly compared with previous years.
