Update: Somalia referee blocked from entering US for World Cup had suspected terror ties

A top Somalian referee who was set to officiate games at the World Cup was blocked from entering the US over his alleged links to terrorist organizations.

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Omar Abdulkadir Artan, 33, was interrogated by border officials at Miami International Airport for 11 hours on Saturday, June 6,  before he was held in a jail cell and forced to leave the country, according to The Athletic.

Customs and Border Protection officers claimed that Artan was blocked from entering the US over “vetting concerns.” On Tuesday, US officials said that the referee was barred due to an “association with suspected members of terror organizations.”

After landing in Florida, Artan was questioned over Somalian politics and the Al Shabaab terrorist organization, which US Africa Command described in 2022 as “the largest, wealthiest, and most lethal Al Qaeda affiliate.”

AFRICOM said the group “poses the greatest danger to US citizens and interests in East Africa and is a threat to the United States.”

Artan’s name is similar to that of a man who has links to the terror group, which is sanctioned by the US Treasury, the New York Times reported.

The referee, who was named Africa’s best referee in 2025, was quizzed if he had ever met anyone from the organization, which he denied.

Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, previously said earlier Tuesday there was a “very good reason” why Artan was blocked from entering the US.

“While I can’t go into the derog on that I can tell you it was right decision by customs and border patrol and I support that decision,” Giuliani told the BBC.

“Anybody who’s communicating with bad actors… are not going to be admitted,” Giuliani told Sky News.

Last June, President Trump announced a blanket ban on citizens from Somalia entering the US. The nation was one of 12 countries initially included in the ban.

The US government considers Somalia to be a “terrorist safe haven,” where bad actors “plan, facilitate and conduct their operations.”

“Somalia also remains a destination for individuals attempting to join terrorist groups that threaten the national security of the United States,” the White House warned.