U.S. prosecutors have traveled internationally to apprehend a central suspect in a Minnesota fraud case.
Published On 27 Jun 2026
United States prosecutors have secured the arrest of Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh, 42, a key figure in a $250 million fraud scheme linked to the Feeding Our Future nonprofit, in Mogadishu, Somalia.
The arrest, announced on Friday, marks the most extensive international effort to date in the case, which involved the exploitation of a federal child‑nutrition program during the COVID‑19 pandemic.
Details of how Eidleh was located have not been disclosed, but the Department of Justice confirmed that the apprehension resulted from collaboration between the FBI and Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency.
Prosecutors allege that Eidleh recruited participants, collected bribes disguised as consulting fees, and orchestrated false claims of serving thousands of children daily.
“This is a significant case,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen, emphasizing Eidleh’s role in recruiting businesses and facilitating the misappropriation of public funds.
Crackdown on Somali community
The former administration leveraged the Feeding Our Future case to intensify scrutiny of Minnesota’s Somali community, the largest in the United States, comprising roughly 84,000 individuals of Somali descent in the Minneapolis‑St. Paul metropolitan area.
Most members are U.S.-born or naturalized citizens.
Following the former president’s travel ban and statements threatening to revoke citizenship for naturalized Americans convicted of fraud, immigration enforcement actions increased, resulting in tragic incidents involving ICE agents.
In January, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sought to terminate Temporary Protected Status for about 1,100 Somalis, a designation in place since 1991; a federal court subsequently blocked the termination, and the litigation continues.
