Federal authorities said Wednesday they had arrested an Iraqi citizen and longtime member of Al Qaeda and the Islamic State who fled after killing an Iraqi police officer in 2014, eventually settling in Sacramento as a purported refugee.

The man, Omar Ameen, 45, is wanted on a murder charge in Iraq and appeared before a federal magistrate judge in Sacramento on Wednesday soon after his arrest, the Justice Department said in a statement. He is to be extradited and will face trial in his home country, prosecutors said.

Mr. Ameen has been a member of Al Qaeda in Iraq since at least 2004 and later joined the Islamic State — known as ISIS — prosecutors said, citing interviews with several witnesses. He is not known to have renounced his membership in either group, they say.

“It is common knowledge in Rawah, Iraq, that Ameen was a main local figure of AQI and ISIS,” a detention memorandum said.</s>Omar Ameen, 45, an Iraqi national, wanted on a murder charge in Iraq, appeared before a federal magistrate judge in Sacramento, California today in connection with proceedings to extradite him to face trial in Iraq. Ameen settled in Sacramento as a purported refugee and attempted to gain legal status in the United States. 

 

 The arrest was announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott for the Eastern District of California, Assistant Director Michael McGarrity of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, and Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI’s Sacramento Field Office. 

 

 An arrest warrant charging Ameen with the 2014 murder of an Iraqi police officer was issued on May 16, by a judge of the Baghdad Federal Al-Karkh Inquiry Court. In accordance with its treaty obligations with Iraq, the United States filed a complaint in Sacramento seeking a warrant for Ameen’s arrest based on the extradition request. U.S. Magistrate Judge Edmund F. Brennan issued the warrant on Tuesday, and Ameen was arrested by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force in Sacramento today. 

 

 The Iraqi arrest warrant and extradition request allege that after the town of Rawah, Iraq fell to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) on June 21, 2014, Ameen entered the town with a caravan of ISIS vehicles and drove to the house of the victim, who had served as an officer in the Rawah Police Department. On the evening of June 22, 2014, after the caravan arrived at the victim’s house, Ameen and other members of the convoy allegedly opened fire on the victim. Ameen then allegedly fired his weapon at the victim while the victim was on the ground, killing him. 

 

 Ameen, originally of Rawah, in the Anbar province of Iraq, fled Iraq following the alleged murder, and later settled in Sacramento as a purported refugee. It is alleged that Ameen’s family supported and assisted the installation of al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) in Rawah, and that Ameen was a member of AQI and ISIS. It is also alleged that he participated in various activities in support of those terrorist organizations, including helping to plant improvised explosive devices, and committing the murder that is the subject of the extradition request. Ameen concealed his membership in those terrorist groups when he applied for refugee status, and later when he applied for a green card in the United States. 

 

 The details contained in the charging document are allegations and have not been proven in court. 

 

 Today’s arrest and efforts to initiate the extradition process are the product of a coordinated effort by the U.S. Department of Justice — in particular the Criminal Division's Office of International Affairs, which played a significant role — the U.S. Department of State, the FBI — in particular the FBI Sacramento Field Office which provided considerable resources to further this investigation and ensure the safety of the American people throughout it — and ICE-Homeland Security Investigations.

 

 Attachment(s):</s>SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A man was arrested in Sacramento on suspicion of a 2014 murder in Iraq believed to be carried out by the Islamic State.

Omar Abdulsattar Ameen is expected to be extradited to Iraq.

The government of Iraq has charged Ameen with premeditated murder that happened during an ISIS takeover of the Rawah District of the Al-Anbar Province. ISIS took control of the area on June 21, 2014, and the next day investigators say Ameen was part of a four-vehicle ISIS convoy that opened fire on a home on June 22.

The Iraqi government alleges Ameen fired his weapon at the victim, Ihsan Abdulhafiz Jasim, who was on the ground, killing him with a gunshot wound to the chest.
• June 21, 2014 – ISIS seizes control of the Rawah District of Al-Anbar Province, erects checkpoints.
• June 22, 2014 – An four-vehicle ISIS convoy opens fire on a home. The man inside returns fire, but is eventually killed. A witness says Omar Abdulsattar Ameen fired the lethal shot into the victim’s chest.
• April 12, 2018 – Court receives details about the 2014 attack. Details came from a witness who investigators say was able to identify Ameen as the shooter from ISIS videos and photos.
• May 16, 2018 – A judge in Iraq issues a warrant for Ameen’s arrest.
• July 18, 2018 – American Ambassador to Iraq Douglas Silliman certifies the request by the Iraqi government
• Aug. 14, 2018 – Warrant submitted by investigators and granted by a judge in Sacramento.
• Aug. 15, 2018 – Ameen is taken into custody and has his first hearing in Sacramento

The Iraqi government says a witness came forward and was able to identify him.

Investigators with the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms searched the Eastern Villa Apartments on Eastern Avenue. Agents took boxes of evidence from the apartment.

This is a developing story. Check back for more details.</s>An alleged ISIS member was apprehended in northern California on Wednesday after being accused in the 2014 murder of a police officer in Iraq, officials announced.

The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested Omar Ameen, 45, following an Iraqi warrant for his arrest and extradition request, officials said in a news release from the Justice Department.

Ameen allegedly arrived in Rawah, Iraq “with a caravan of ISIS vehicles” -- after the organization gained control of the town on June 21, 2014 -- and made their way to the Rawah police officer's home, officials said. The following day, multiple group members, including Ameen, allegedly shot the officer.

ISIS TERRORISTS SEEN LAUGHING IN PHOTOS BEFORE BARCELONA TERROR ATTACK

“Ameen then allegedly fired his weapon at the victim while the victim was on the ground, killing him,” officials said.

The suspect is accused of being a member of ISIS and al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), as well as carrying out tasks for the groups, “including helping to plant improvised explosive devices,” according to the news release.

Following the alleged incident, Ameen relocated to Sacramento from Iraq “as a purported refugee” and did not mention his alleged ties to the terrorist organizations when seeking refugee status and a green card in the U.S., officials said.

ISIS RAMPS UP VIOLENCE AS IT PREPARES TO PULL OUT OF SYRIA

Ameen appeared in a Sacramento court on Wednesday in relation to his pending extradition “to face trial in Iraq,” officials said.

The Iraq warrant for his arrest was initially issued on May 16 and a subsequent warrant requested in Sacramento was issued by a judge on Tuesday, according to officials.

“In accordance with its treaty obligations with Iraq, the United States filed a complaint in the Sacramento seeking a warrant for Ameen’s arrest based on the extradition request,” the news release said.</s>A woman carrying a child is escorted by authorities to an apartment following the arrest of a 45-year-old Iraqi refugee, Omar Ameen, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. Ameen was arrested on a warrant alleging that he killed an Iraqi policeman in 2014 while serving with the Islamic State terror organization. less

A woman carrying a child is escorted by authorities to an apartment following the arrest of a 45-year-old Iraqi refugee, Omar Ameen, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. Ameen was arrested on a ... more

Crime scene tape blocks the entrance to an apartment complex following the arrest of a 45-year-old Iraqi refugee, Omar Ameen, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. Ameen was arrested on a warrant alleging that he killed an Iraqi policeman in 2014 while serving with the Islamic State terror organization. less

Crime scene tape blocks the entrance to an apartment complex following the arrest of a 45-year-old Iraqi refugee, Omar Ameen, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. Ameen was arrested on a warrant ... more

A federal agent makes a call outside the apartment following the arrest of a 45-year-old Iraqi refugee, Omar Ameen, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. Ameen was arrested on a warrant alleging that he killed an Iraqi policeman in 2014 while serving with the Islamic State terror organization. less

A federal agent makes a call outside the apartment following the arrest of a 45-year-old Iraqi refugee, Omar Ameen, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. Ameen was arrested on a warrant alleging that ... more

A federal agent removes items from an apartment following the arrest of a 45-year-old Iraqi refugee, Omar Ameen, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. Ameen was arrested on a warrant alleging that he killed an Iraqi policeman in 2014 while serving with the Islamic State terror organization. less

A federal agent removes items from an apartment following the arrest of a 45-year-old Iraqi refugee, Omar Ameen, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. Ameen was arrested on a warrant alleging that he ... more

A federal agent removes items from an apartment following the arrest of Omar Ameen, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. Ameen, a 45-year-old Iraqi refugee, was arrested on a warrant alleging that he killed an Iraqi policeman in 2014 while serving with the Islamic State terror organization. less

A federal agent removes items from an apartment following the arrest of Omar Ameen, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. Ameen, a 45-year-old Iraqi refugee, was arrested on a warrant alleging that he ... more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A refugee from Iraq was arrested Wednesday in Northern California on a warrant alleging that he killed an Iraqi policeman while fighting for the Islamic State organization.

Omar Abdulsattar Ameen, 45, and other members of ISIS killed the officer after the town of Rawah, Iraq, fell to the Islamic State in June 2014, according to court documents.

He was arrested by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force at a Sacramento apartment building based on a warrant issued in May by an Iraqi federal court in Baghdad. U.S. officials plan to extradite him back to Iraq under a treaty with that nation, and he made his first appearance in federal court in Sacramento on Wednesday.

Ameen could face execution for the "organized killing by an armed group" according to Iraqi documents filed in U.S. federal court.

Prosecutors say Ameen entered the U.S. under a refugee program, eventually settling in Sacramento, and attempted to gain legal status in the United States.

He arrived in Turkey in 2012 and began applying to the U.S. for refugee status by claiming to be a victim of terrorism, according to a court document. He was granted refugee status in June 2014, but returned to Iraq to commit the slaying before traveling to the United States in November 2014, the document says.

The Trump administration has sharply criticized the Obama-era settlement program, questioning whether enough was done to weed out those with terrorist ties.

Officials said Ameen also kept secret his membership in two terrorist groups when he applied for a green card in the United States.

State Department and Department of Homeland Security officials did not immediately respond to questions about Ameen.

Benjamin Galloway, one of Ameen's public defenders, said he had just 10 minutes to meet with his client prior to his initial federal court appearance Wednesday afternoon and attorneys hadn't decided whether to contest that Ameen is in fact the man wanted by Iraqi authorities.

Ameen was identified by a witness to the slaying who viewed a series of photographs of ISIS members, according to the Iraqi documents.

The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force has been investigating Ameen for filing fraudulent travel or immigration documents since 2016, according to a court filing. It says the FBI independently corroborated Ameen's involvement with the terrorist organizations and participation in the slaying.

Ameen remained dressed in street clothing including a light blue T-shirt as he appeared in court handcuffed to a chain around his waist. U.S. Magistrate Judge Edmund Brennan ordered him detained until his next court appearance set for Monday, accepting prosecutors' argument that Ameen is dangerous and a flight risk.

Prosecutors said in court filings that the release of an alleged member of a designated foreign terrorist organization would be a national security risk.

The Iraqi arrest warrant and extradition request say that Ameen entered his hometown of Rawah in the Anbar province of Iraq with a four-vehicle ISIS caravan and drove to the home of Ihsan Abdulhafiz Jasim, who had served with the Rawah Police Department. He and at least five other named suspects opened fire and the man shot back, but the documents allege that Ameen fatally shot the man in the chest as he lay on the ground.

The militants later claimed responsibility for the slaying on social media.

The FBI has interviewed at least eight witnesses who identify the Ameen family — including Ameen himself, his father, brothers, and paternal cousins — as affiliated with al Qaeda and ISIS, prosecutors said.

Court documents say Ameen's family also aided al Qaeda in Rawah and that Ameen was a member of both al Qaida in Iraq and ISIS. The documents allege that he did a number of things in support of the groups, including helping plant improvised bombs, transporting militants, soliciting funds and robbing supply trucks and kidnapping drivers on behalf of al Qaida.

The FBI quotes one witness as saying Ameen's vehicle in 2005 was a Kia Sportage flying a black al Qaida flag with a cut-out roof and a machine gun mounted on the rear.

Associated Press journalist Sophia Bollag contributed to this story.</s>US authorities have arrested an alleged Islamic State member and murderer who entered the country as a refugee, raising questions about the strength of the government's refugee screening process.

Omar Ameen, 45, was arrested Wednesday in Sacramento, California by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, three months after an Iraqi magistrate issued an arrest warrant charging him with the murder of an Iraqi policeman in 2014, the Justice Department said.

Ameen, from Rawah in Anbar province, entered the United States in 2014 after being granted refugee status, and recently sought permanent resident status by applying for a "Green Card" work permit.

But US authorities now say that Iraq has identified Ameen as a member of two designated jihadist terror groups, Al-Qaeda in Iraq, and the Islamic State group.

Iraqi authorities allege his family supported AQI's establishment in Rawah, and they say Ameen helped plant improvised explosive devices.

They also says he shot dead a policeman in Rawah on June 22, 2014, a day after Islamic State fighter seized the city. That alleged murder is the basis of an extradition request from Baghdad.

"Ameen concealed his membership in those terrorist groups when he applied for refugee status, and later when he applied for a green card in the United States," the Justice Department said.

Ameen's ability to enter the country as a refugee could lend support to President Donald Trump's controversial move last year to slash the number of refugees the United States admits annually.

Trump placed a cap on refugee admissions of 45,000 this fiscal year (ending September 30), compared to the 110,000 level set for fiscal 2017 by Trump's White House predecessor, Barack Obama.

But given the pace so far, the actual number of refugees to be admitted in fiscal 2018 could fall below 20,000: only 18,565 had been admitted as of August 10, according to Department of State data.</s>Omar Ameen, 42, was arrested in Sacramento on Wednesday to the complete surprise of his neighbors. Greg Hutson who lives nearby told KTXL that Ameen seemed like a "friendly guy." "The gentleman that got arrested, he kept to himself," Hutson said. "He's got like a wife and children."

Ameen worked as a truck loader and a laborer in Salt Lake City before working in Sacramento as an auto mechanic in February 2016, when the FBI started investigating him for having links to Daesh* in Iraq.

READ MORE: Daesh Supporter Pleads Guilty to Plotting to Kill About 100 in London — Reports

Ameen received his green card in November 2014; he had applied to US Customs and Immigration Services from Turkey. The court documents claim that he "lied about his background and the circumstances of his departure from Iraq in order to evade detection, seeking to blend into the flow of legitimate refugees fleeing the conflict zone." His application, however, was approved.

The FBI connects Ameen to the 2014 murder of a police officer in the Iraqi town of Rawa a day after Daesh captured it. The prosecutors say that shortly after the murder Ameen entered the United States as a refugee. Authorities also allege "numerous acts of violence" including two undocumented killings in Iraq and the planting of homemade roadside bombs. Eight witnesses have claimed that Ameed was the "main local figure" in Rawa where he was born and lived before moving to the US. In May 2018 Iraq also issued an extradition request over three prior arrest warrants. Omar Ameen's attorneys were unable to comment on his case, yet the Sacramento Bee reported that federal defenders had received the case only minutes before Ameen appeared before the judge.

* Daesh, also known as Islamic State, ISIS, ISIL is a terrorist group, banned in Russia</s>SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A refugee from Iraq was arrested Wednesday in Northern California on a warrant alleging that he killed an Iraqi policeman while fighting for the Islamic State organization.

Omar Abdulsattar Ameen, 45, and other members of ISIS killed the officer after the town of Rawah, Iraq, fell to the Islamic State in June 2014, according to court documents.

He was arrested by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force at a Sacramento apartment building based on a warrant issued in May by an Iraqi federal court in Baghdad. U.S. officials plan to extradite him back to Iraq under a treaty with that nation, and he made his first appearance in federal court in Sacramento on Wednesday.

A federal agent removes items from an apartment following the arrest of Omar Ameen, in Sacramento, Calif on Aug. 15, 2018.Rich Pedroncelli / AP

Ameen could face execution for the “organized killing by an armed group” according to Iraqi documents filed in U.S. federal court.

Prosecutors say Ameen entered the U.S. under a refugee program, eventually settling in Sacramento, and attempted to gain legal status in the United States. It wasn’t immediately clear when Ameen came to the U.S.

The Trump administration has sharply criticized the Obama-era settlement program, questioning whether enough was done to weed out those with terrorist ties.

Officials said Ameen kept secret his membership in two terrorist groups when he applied for refugee status, and later when he applied for a green card in the United States.

State Department and Department of Homeland Security officials did not immediately respond to questions about Ameen.

Benjamin Galloway, one of Ameen’s public defenders, said he had just 10 minutes to meet with his client prior to his initial federal court appearance Wednesday afternoon and attorneys hadn’t decided whether to contest that Ameen is in fact the man wanted by Iraqi authorities.

Ameen was identified by a witness to the slaying who viewed a series of photographs of ISIS members, according to the Iraqi documents.

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force has been investigating Ameen for filing fraudulent travel or immigration documents since 2016, according to a court filing. It says the FBI independently corroborated Ameen’s involvement with the terrorist organizations and participation in the slaying.

Ameen remained dressed in street clothing including a light blue T-shirt as he appeared in court handcuffed to a chain around his waist. U.S. Magistrate Judge Edmund Brennan ordered him detained until his next court appearance set for Monday, accepting prosecutors’ argument that Ameen is dangerous and a flight risk.

Prosecutors said in court filings that the release of an alleged member of a designated foreign terrorist organization would be a national security risk.

The Iraqi arrest warrant and extradition request say that Ameen entered his hometown of Rawah in the Anbar province of Iraq with a four-vehicle ISIS caravan and drove to the home of Ihsan Abdulhafiz Jasim, who had served with the Rawah Police Department. He and at least five other named suspects opened fire and the man shot back, but the documents allege that Ameen fatally shot the man in the chest as he lay on the ground.

The militants later claimed responsibility for the slaying on social media.

The FBI has interviewed at least eight witnesses who identify the Ameen family — including Ameen himself, his father, brothers, and paternal cousins — as affiliated with al Qaeda and ISIS, prosecutors said.

Court documents say Ameen’s family also aided al Qaeda in Rawah and that Ameen was a member of both al Qaida in Iraq and ISIS. The documents allege that he did a number of things in support of the groups, including helping plant improvised bombs.</s>(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli). A woman carrying a child is escorted by authorities to an apartment following the arrest of a 45-year-old Iraqi refugee, Omar Ameen, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. Ameen was arrested on a warrant alleging t...

(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli). Crime scene tape blocks the entrance to an apartment complex following the arrest of a 45-year-old Iraqi refugee, Omar Ameen, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. Ameen was arrested on a warrant alleging that he ...

(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli). A federal agent makes a call outside the apartment following the arrest of a 45-year-old Iraqi refugee, Omar Ameen, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. Ameen was arrested on a warrant alleging that he killed an ...

(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli). A federal agent removes items from an apartment following the arrest of a 45-year-old Iraqi refugee, Omar Ameen, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. Ameen was arrested on a warrant alleging that he killed an Ira...

(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli). A federal agent removes items from an apartment following the arrest of Omar Ameen, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. Ameen, a 45-year-old Iraqi refugee, was arrested on a warrant alleging that he killed an Ir...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - A refugee from Iraq was arrested Wednesday in Northern California on a warrant alleging that he killed an Iraqi policeman while fighting for the Islamic State organization.

Omar Abdulsattar Ameen, 45, and other members of ISIS killed the officer after the town of Rawah, Iraq, fell to the Islamic State in June 2014, according to court documents.

He was arrested by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force at a Sacramento apartment building based on a warrant issued in May by an Iraqi federal court in Baghdad. U.S. officials plan to extradite him back to Iraq under a treaty with that nation, and he made his first appearance in federal court in Sacramento on Wednesday.

Ameen could face execution for the "organized killing by an armed group" according to Iraqi documents filed in U.S. federal court.

Prosecutors say Ameen entered the U.S. under a refugee program, eventually settling in Sacramento, and attempted to gain legal status in the United States.

He arrived in Turkey in 2012 and began applying to the U.S. for refugee status by claiming to be a victim of terrorism, according to a court document. He was granted refugee status in June 2014, but returned to Iraq to commit the slaying before traveling to the United States in November 2014, the document says.

The Trump administration has sharply criticized the Obama-era settlement program, questioning whether enough was done to weed out those with terrorist ties.

Officials said Ameen also kept secret his membership in two terrorist groups when he applied for a green card in the United States.

State Department and Department of Homeland Security officials did not immediately respond to questions about Ameen.

Benjamin Galloway, one of Ameen's public defenders, said he had just 10 minutes to meet with his client prior to his initial federal court appearance Wednesday afternoon and attorneys hadn't decided whether to contest that Ameen is in fact the man wanted by Iraqi authorities.

Ameen was identified by a witness to the slaying who viewed a series of photographs of ISIS members, according to the Iraqi documents.

The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force has been investigating Ameen for filing fraudulent travel or immigration documents since 2016, according to a court filing. It says the FBI independently corroborated Ameen's involvement with the terrorist organizations and participation in the slaying.

Ameen remained dressed in street clothing including a light blue T-shirt as he appeared in court handcuffed to a chain around his waist. U.S. Magistrate Judge Edmund Brennan ordered him detained until his next court appearance set for Monday, accepting prosecutors' argument that Ameen is dangerous and a flight risk.

Prosecutors said in court filings that the release of an alleged member of a designated foreign terrorist organization would be a national security risk.

The Iraqi arrest warrant and extradition request say that Ameen entered his hometown of Rawah in the Anbar province of Iraq with a four-vehicle ISIS caravan and drove to the home of Ihsan Abdulhafiz Jasim, who had served with the Rawah Police Department. He and at least five other named suspects opened fire and the man shot back, but the documents allege that Ameen fatally shot the man in the chest as he lay on the ground.

The militants later claimed responsibility for the slaying on social media.

The FBI has interviewed at least eight witnesses who identify the Ameen family - including Ameen himself, his father, brothers, and paternal cousins - as affiliated with al Qaeda and ISIS, prosecutors said.

Court documents say Ameen's family also aided al Qaeda in Rawah and that Ameen was a member of both al Qaida in Iraq and ISIS. The documents allege that he did a number of things in support of the groups, including helping plant improvised bombs, transporting militants, soliciting funds and robbing supply trucks and kidnapping drivers on behalf of al Qaida.

The FBI quotes one witness as saying Ameen's vehicle in 2005 was a Kia Sportage flying a black al Qaida flag with a cut-out roof and a machine gun mounted on the rear.

Associated Press journalist Sophia Bollag contributed to this story.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>A woman carrying a child is escorted by authorities to an apartment following the arrest of a 45-year-old Iraqi refugee, Omar Ameen, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. Ameen was arrested on a warrant alleging that he killed an Iraqi policeman in 2014 while serving with the Islamic State terror organization. less

A woman carrying a child is escorted by authorities to an apartment following the arrest of a 45-year-old Iraqi refugee, Omar Ameen, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. Ameen was arrested on a ... more

Crime scene tape blocks the entrance to an apartment complex following the arrest of a 45-year-old Iraqi refugee, Omar Ameen, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. Ameen was arrested on a warrant alleging that he killed an Iraqi policeman in 2014 while serving with the Islamic State terror organization. less

Crime scene tape blocks the entrance to an apartment complex following the arrest of a 45-year-old Iraqi refugee, Omar Ameen, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. Ameen was arrested on a warrant ... more

A federal agent makes a call outside the apartment following the arrest of a 45-year-old Iraqi refugee, Omar Ameen, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. Ameen was arrested on a warrant alleging that he killed an Iraqi policeman in 2014 while serving with the Islamic State terror organization. less

A federal agent makes a call outside the apartment following the arrest of a 45-year-old Iraqi refugee, Omar Ameen, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. Ameen was arrested on a warrant alleging that ... more

A federal agent removes items from an apartment following the arrest of a 45-year-old Iraqi refugee, Omar Ameen, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. Ameen was arrested on a warrant alleging that he killed an Iraqi policeman in 2014 while serving with the Islamic State terror organization. less

A federal agent removes items from an apartment following the arrest of a 45-year-old Iraqi refugee, Omar Ameen, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. Ameen was arrested on a warrant alleging that he ... more

A federal agent removes items from an apartment following the arrest of Omar Ameen, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. Ameen, a 45-year-old Iraqi refugee, was arrested on a warrant alleging that he killed an Iraqi policeman in 2014 while serving with the Islamic State terror organization. less

A federal agent removes items from an apartment following the arrest of Omar Ameen, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. Ameen, a 45-year-old Iraqi refugee, was arrested on a warrant alleging that he ... more

This undated photo provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office shows Omar Abdulsattar Ameen. The refugee from Iraq was arrested Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, in Northern California on a warrant alleging that he killed an Iraqi policeman while fighting for the Islamic State organization. (U.S. Attorney's Office via AP) less

This undated photo provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office shows Omar Abdulsattar Ameen. The refugee from Iraq was arrested Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, in Northern California on a warrant alleging that he killed ... more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — An Iraqi man accused of killing for the Islamic State entered the U.S. as a refugee after claiming to be a victim of terrorism, in a case drawing attention amid the Trump administration's criticism of the resettlement program's vetting process.

Omar Abdulsattar Ameen, 45, was arrested in California on Wednesday and will be extradited to Iraq under a treaty with that nation, U.S. officials said. He made his first appearance in federal court in Sacramento after his arrest at an apartment building in the state capitol.

Ameen left Iraq and fled in 2012 to Turkey, where he applied to be accepted as a refugee to the U.S., according to court documents.

He was granted that status in June 2014. That same month, prosecutors say he returned to Iraq, where he killed a police officer in the town of Rawah after it fell to the Islamic State. Five months later, Ameen traveled to the United States to be resettled as a refugee.

Ameen was arrested by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force based on a warrant issued in May by an Iraqi federal court in Baghdad. Ameen could face execution for the "organized killing by an armed group," according to Iraqi documents filed in U.S. federal court.

Benjamin Galloway, one of Ameen's public defenders, said he had just 10 minutes to meet with his client prior to his initial federal court appearance Wednesday, and attorneys hadn't decided whether to contest that Ameen is the man wanted by Iraqi authorities.

Ameen did not disclose his membership in two terrorist groups when he later applied for a green card in the United States, officials said.

The Trump administration has sharply criticized the Obama-era resettlement program, questioning whether enough was done to weed out those with terrorist ties.

State Department and Department of Homeland Security officials did not immediately respond to questions about Ameen.

Seamus Hughes, of George Washington University's Program on Extremism, said most ISIS cases in the United States have involved U.S.-born citizens and that the case should be considered rare but illustrates holes in the system.

"There was clearly a number of tripwires that didn't go off in this vetting process," he said. "No doubt security officials will want to take a long hard look at how to improve the vetting program in the future."

According to resettlement agencies in the United States, the U.S. vetting process has long been one of the toughest in the world. Most people spend at least three years being interviewed, undergoing biometric checks and medical exams, and filling out paperwork before being approved for refugee status. Cases are screened by the Department of Defense, FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and other agencies.

Some refugees, like those from Syria, undergo additional screenings.

The Trump administration increased security screening requirements and drastically reduced the annual ceiling of refugee arrivals to the U.S. from 110,000 to 45,000.

Officials at the State Department say new vetting protocols are "enabling departments and agencies to more thoroughly review applicants to identify threats to public safety and national security."

Ameen was identified by a witness to the slaying who viewed a series of photographs of ISIS members, according to the Iraqi documents.

The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force has been investigating Ameen over the filing of fraudulent travel or immigration documents since 2016, according to a court filing. It says the FBI independently corroborated Ameen's involvement with the terrorist organizations and participation in the slaying.

Ameen was dressed in street clothes, including a light blue T-shirt, as he appeared in court handcuffed to a chain around his waist.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Edmund Brennan accepted prosecutors' argument that Ameen is dangerous and a flight risk and ordered him detained until his next court appearance set for Monday.

Prosecutors said in court filings that the release of a person suspected of being a member of a designated foreign terrorist organization would be a national security risk.

The Iraqi arrest warrant and extradition request say Ameen entered his hometown of Rawah in the Anbar province of Iraq in a four-vehicle ISIS caravan and drove to the home of Ihsan Abdulhafiz Jasim, who had served with the Rawah Police Department.

He and at least five other named suspects opened fire and the man shot back, but the documents allege that Ameen fatally shot the man in the chest as he lay on the ground.

Militants later claimed responsibility for the slaying on social media.

The FBI has interviewed at least eight witnesses who identify the Ameen family — including Ameen himself, his father, brothers, and paternal cousins — as affiliated with al Qaeda and ISIS, prosecutors said.

Court documents say Ameen's family also aided al-Qaida in Rawah and that Ameen was a member of both al-Qaida in Iraq and ISIS. The documents say he helped plant improvised bombs, transported militants, solicited funds, robbed supply trucks and kidnapped drivers on behalf of al-Qaida.

The FBI quotes one witness as saying Ameen's vehicle in 2005 was a Kia Sportage flying a black al-Qaida flag with a cut-out roof and a machine gun mounted on the rear.

Associated Press reporters Sophia Bollag in Sacramento contributed to this story. Watson reported from San Diego.
Omar Ameen, an ISIL member who lived in California as a refugee, is arrested in Sacramento for a 2014 murder in Rawa, Iraq.