A stunning set of allegations from a Somali lawmaker is raising serious national security concerns, claiming that high-level Somali officials may be connected to a sprawling trafficking network moving thousands of people — including individuals tied to terrorist groups — into the United States and other Western nations.
The claims come from Dr. Abdillahi Hashi Abib, a member of Somalia’s Parliament and its Foreign Affairs Committee, who shared confidential letters with the Daily Caller after he says repeated attempts to alert U.S. lawmakers went unanswered.
According to a February letter obtained by the outlet, more than 6,900 Somali nationals were allegedly trafficked into the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union over just five months. The operation reportedly includes children and individuals linked to the terrorist group al-Shabaab, a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization.
Abib claims the network generates approximately $25,000 for each group of migrants moved through the pipeline.
The allegations point to an organized system that uses political influence, diplomatic privileges, and international connections to move migrants through multiple countries before they eventually reach Western destinations.
Among those named in the letter is Hinda Culusow, described as both a U.S. citizen and the chief of protocol for the Somali president. Abib alleges that Culusow and her husband, a sitting member of Somalia’s Parliament, operate a private travel agency that acts as a central hub for the trafficking pipeline.
The company, Sky Som Air & Logistics, is accused of coordinating travel documents, flight arrangements, and intermediary logistics to help clients move through irregular migration routes. The report includes several payment receipts — totaling hundreds of dollars — allegedly connected to the operation and tied to travel routes through Egypt before migrants continue toward Western countries.
My source @MPDrAbib shared alleged fake passports, visas, and Ethiopian Airlines emails confirming Somali docs are forgeries.
Reports back Abib’s claims.
Similar forgeries are being used to smuggle terrorists & fraudsters into the US—with Minnesota as a key hub.
Stay tuned… pic.twitter.com/eRThsFTnYx— Derek VanBuskirk (@DerekVBK) March 5, 2026
The company did not respond to requests for comment.
The letter also alleges that Somali State Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Mohamed Omar worked with a relative serving as Somalia’s ambassador to Cuba to exploit Cuban government scholarships. According to the report, the scholarships are allegedly sold and used as a pathway for migration, allowing individuals to enter Cuba before attempting to travel onward toward the United States.
Some individuals allegedly linked to al-Shabaab have reportedly used routes through Latin America before eventually arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border and requesting asylum.
The report further claims that Somalia’s Minister of Education, Farah Abdiqadir, supports the broader network.
One case highlighted in the documents involves a 33-year-old Somali national who was reportedly arrested for terrorism before being released by government officials and later sent to Germany under the designation of “student.”
Beyond the migration pipeline itself, Abib describes a darker human trafficking system involving children.
He alleges that hundreds of minors are coerced into trafficking networks each month after families are promised a better life abroad. The Somali government or intermediaries reportedly cover travel costs upfront, but children are later held captive in Libya while traffickers demand ransom payments reaching $25,000.
With Somalia’s GDP per capita hovering around $600 per year, Abib says many families cannot pay the ransom, leaving children vulnerable to death, forced labor, or sex trafficking.
The documents include a photograph showing a Somali minor during what Abib says was a ransom video call to the child’s parents.
Abib says the evidence he shared with U.S. lawmakers represents only a small portion of what he possesses. He claims to have access to additional visa records, passport data, financial transaction trails, and witness testimony that could further expose the alleged network.
Despite sending the materials to the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Abib says he has received no response.
In a separate report also sent to lawmakers, Abib warned that terrorist organizations are rapidly expanding their power inside Somalia.
He described al-Shabaab as a “critical” threat that has effectively built a parallel government, collecting taxes, disrupting elections, and undermining Somalia’s federal authority. The report warns the group is preparing drone attacks against high-security targets in Somalia’s capital, including airports and diplomatic compounds.
Photos included in the documents allegedly show an Iranian drone and U.S.-origin military equipment in the possession of terrorist fighters.
Abib says the intelligence came from a whistleblower within Somalia’s intelligence services.
The lawmaker argues that corruption inside Somalia’s government has allowed terrorist networks and trafficking operations to thrive while information is suppressed from both the public and international partners.
“This failure now directly threatens U.S. national security, U.S. personnel, U.S. taxpayers, and U.S. strategic interests in the Horn of Africa and beyond,” the report warns.
Abib has proposed a series of recommendations for the United States, including targeted sanctions against corrupt Somali officials, stronger oversight investigations, protections for whistleblowers, and an international mechanism to independently verify information coming from Somalia.
The U.S. State Department responded to the Daily Caller by saying the Trump administration remains committed to cracking down on fraud and abuse connected to foreign aid.
“The America First State Department stands ready to ensure President Trump’s war on fraud to fight widespread abuses across our nation is successful,” the department said in a statement. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was copied on the letters, according to documents obtained by the outlet.
