US authorities accuse 2 Yemenis of drug trafficking and money laundering Trouble ahead for Yemenis in USA [Archives:2002/40/Front Page]

According to news reports in the USA, two Yemenis based in Oakland, California are accused by the US federal prosecutor of possible connection to drug trafficking and money laundering in the US.
According to report of an Oakland-based newspaper, 28-year-old liquor store owner Mohammed Amin Ahmed and 22-year-old Laney, College student Mohsin Musid Sharif, were part of an international ring that smuggled over-the-counter cold remedy pills from Canada through Detroit to nine California meth labs.
It is believed that Oakland’s liquor stores have become a source of concern for the authorities because of their links to dealers all over the US. Seventy percent of Oakland’s 375 liquor stores are run by Yemenis.
This comes in a time news of scrutinizing Yemeni immigrants in the USA were reported.
It was reported that U.S. Justice Department directed special agents to “selectively seek out and search all individuals of Yemeni origin including U.S. citizens” as “a necessary precaution to protect the nation from any possible terrorist attack.” “Millions of dollars in drug profits were laundered back to Yemen, federal investigators contend, and prosecutors allege that Sharif ran an illegal money wire service where he also doctored phony identification.” the Oakland Tribune said.
Authorities in Oakland believe that there are links between the said Yemenis and Hezbollah of Lebanon. However, no solid evidence was provided so far.
Federal agents started focusing more on Yemeni immigrants after they arrested Ali Saleh Saad, 30, of Yemeni origin in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn.
It is suspected that Saad and his network is directly related to Mohamed Ahmed, but that remains to be proved.
It is worth noting that Yemenis in the US tend to send money to Yemen through many channels, some which may be illegal.
“The first generation in America, what are they here for? To make a better life. Once they do that they want to build a family,” One of the Yemenis in Oakland told the paper. “They send money to their families. It has nothing to do with politics or terrorism or anything.”
Hence, it is believed that following those new developments, the Yemeni community in the US may be exposed to further inspections and scrutinizes, which resembles possible trouble ahead.

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