A Nigerian man convicted in a federal romance scam case has been arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

ICE’s Dallas Enforcement and Removal Operations unit stated in a post on X that Abdul Waris Akinsanya, a 28-year-old Nigerian citizen, had been arrested. The post said he “has convictions for forgery with conspiracy to defraud the United States and fleeing via vehicle in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.”

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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s official shared the announcement the same day, attributing the arrest to the President and his cabinet: “Thanks to the leadership of President Trump and @Sec_Noem, ICE is removing the WORST OF THE WORST from American communities.”

According to a March 6, 2024, press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma, Akinsanya was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for his role in a romance scam scheme. He pleaded guilty on October 12, 2023, to conspiracy to defraud after prosecutors alleged he set up fraudulent bank accounts used to deposit funds from victims of the scam.

The Department of Justice stated Akinsanya opened one such account in May 2020 using a forged passport and a false identity at City National Bank. Co-conspirators allegedly used a fake persona to lure a victim in Alabama into sending $2,650 via money order. Prosecutors stated that Akinsanya deposited the orders into the fake account and retained a portion of the money.

At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton apparently highlighted the sophisticated nature of the scheme and the seriousness of the offense, ordering Akinsanya to serve 18 months in prison, pay restitution of $2,650, and remain under supervision for three years after his release.

The DOJ presser said that the case originated from an investigation by the FBI’s Oklahoma City Field Office.

It was not immediately clear where or when ICE arrested Akinsanya. A request for further details from ICE was not immediately returned.

Public records indicate that Akinsanya’s federal sentence was scheduled to conclude earlier this year. It is not immediately clear if he was merely transferred to ICE custody after completing his prison term or if he was released and immediately committed another arrestable offense.