Ernest James Thompson, 41, also known as James Ujaama and Bilal Ahmad, travelling under a Mexican passport in the name of Jose Luis Ramirez, was the fifteenth wanted United States fugitive to be apprehended in Belize.
But he is the first fugitive, said Leonard Hill, United States Deputy Chief of Missions, who is also linked to a terrorist organization – Al Qaeda, the group led by Osama Bin Laden.
This evening a press conference was held at the Racoon Street Police Station. Besides Hill, present were Commissioner of Police, Gerald Westby; Joe Harris, Regional Security Officer; Belize Police Officer Paul Wade, Officer in Charge of Special Branch; Eduardo Wade, Assistant Commissioner of Police and Commander of Operations; Police Press Officer, G. Michael Reid; and Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Crispin Jefferies.
Eduardo Wade said that about a week and a half ago the Belize police received an Interpol request from their United States counterparts, complete with a wanted poster of Thompson. Since then they have been investigating, and sometime last night they visited an area on Central American Boulevard and Fabers Road where they had been informed the terrorist had been living.
Wade added that they learned that Ernest had arrived in Belize 10 days ago.
Compol Westby said that he does not believe that the terrorist was being harbored knowingly. “The fugitive was a practicing Muslim and was welcomed by his brothers,” he added.
Police said that in their attempt to detain the fugitive, a struggle ensued between himself and Inspector Alford Grinage. Grinage was grazed by a bullet after his gun fell to the ground and went off.
Thompson was placed in custody until today, when he was flown to Miami escorted by American federal officials and two Belize police officers. After he leaves Miami, he will be taken to Washington, D.C., where charges are pending, said Harris.
No official at the press conference would say exactly what the fugitive had been charged for or what he may be charged with upon his return, but only that he had pleaded guilty to terrorist charges in 2003 and spent two years in prison in the U.S. before being paroled.
Hill said that one of conditions for parole for the detainee was that he should not leave the country, and because he did, then he violated parole.
Hill said that the only reason that Ernest/Jose was given a minimum sentence was because he had agreed to cooperate with the federal officials and participate as a main witness in the case against alleged terrorists.
Police said that they are presently investigating if the passport Ernest/Jose was travelling with is genuine. They would not say what his activities were since he arrived in Belize, but said that they do not believe that he was with any other terrorist suspects.
According to Ernest/Jose’s records, he celebrated his birthday on December 14, four days ago, and he is a native of Denver, Colorado.