A suspected al Qaeda terrorist – wanted by U.S. federal law enforcement and intelligence officials – was captured on the streets of  San Jose, Costa Rica Wednesday by one of the nation’s anti-terrorism units, according to sources and news reports from the region.

In June, SaraACarter.com first reported that DHS officials had issued a Be On the Lookout alert (BOLO), for “Mohamed Shaker  MOHAMED ABDELAAL.” Shaker, who is associated with the Al-Nusrah terrorist group, was attempting to enter the United States through the Southern border with Mexico, according to information obtained by intelligence officials and foreign intelligence agencies.

Costa Rican authorities announced this week that they intercepted Shaker on Wednesday, “as he walked the streets of the capital,” according to the report.

“Shaker had been under surveillance by the Anti-Terrorism Unit of the Intelligence and Security Directorate (DIS) after Costa Rica received an international alert about him. DIS coordinated with the Professional Migration Police and San José Municipal Police to apprehend Shaker downtown,” according to a news report from Costa Rica.

A former U.S. intelligence official, with knowledge of al Qaeda and other terrorist affiliated groups, told SaraACarter.com that the southern border has become a “magnet for entrance into the U.S. by terrorists, as well as other criminals but he is just one example of serious the porous southern border really is when terrorists direct plans are to fly into a Central American country and move across by foot.”

“How many more have already crossed illegally is unknown,” the former U.S. intelligence official added.

The BOLO national security threat/no fly alert said “Mohamed Shaker MOHAMED ABDELAAL”, poses a “imminent threat to national security.” According to the alert Mohamed Shaker is from Egypt and was identified by sources in Panama, according to officials and the BOLO alert. 

Several months ago, a DHS source, with knowledge of the incident, who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “The border has gotten so bad that we just don’t know what is getting in. We have had terrorist facilitators, guerrillas, hard corp gang members and who knows what coming in.” 

“They must feel pretty comfortable with the state of the border if they are risking coming in.  The numbers of military age “asylum seekers” coming in is enough to overwhelm law enforcement resources.  We are in for a rough future if this doesn’t stop,” he added. The dhs source who spoke on background stated that the BOLO alert has been issued to local and state authorities.

According to CBP.gov, there was total of 380 terrorists who attempted to cross illegally into the United States at both the southern and northern border in 2022. This year the U.S. has already encountered 295 known terrorists entering the country illegally and there is still 6 months left in the year. This puts the United States at great risk of a National Security threat.

You can follow Sara A. Carter on X @SaraCarterDC