So this guy was arrested because he had $78,000 in cash with the scent of drugs, according to the drug dogs. Then on his computer he had "nuclear information." I must say I'm a bit puzzled as to what "nuclear information" is, I'm guessing it's extensive details about the production/assembly/detonation of a nuclear or radiological weapon. So far, however, this man has simply lied on his customs form (a crime, but a misdemeanor). The last time I looked, people were free to possess information about nuclear materials as well as large quantities of cash.
The police were diligent, however, and only apprehended the man after narc dogs smelled something, satisfying probable cause for his arrest. I somehow doubt the police would be able to obtain a search warrant based only on that information because, at this moment, the police have no cause to believe he has narcotics in his house. If they find anything on his computer, however, that would satisfy probable cause, they could obtain a warrant and search his house. They could also release the man and then do legal forms of search and seizure, such as pilfering his trash or setting up round-the-clock details around his domicile. Of course, we'll probably never hear anything about the resolution of this case because the guy will be designated an "enemy combatant" by the D.o.D. or the proceedings will be entirely in secret courts, like FISA or some other corruption of our judicial system.

Actually bringing more than $10K per person into the country without reporting/declaring it is a federal offense. On that alone the money can be confiscated and the man prosecuted. You can take what you want out of the country though.

So, we should release him from custody pending an investigation? And then he disappears...only to reappear on the 6:00 pm news with a world class headline...and we wonder why the Homeland Security folks are so secretive? Nuclear info and cyanide stuff is harmless right? Just like flying lessons for a 747 were just idle interests too! Hey, the US Customs folks were doing their job and THAT IS WHY we don't have any more September 11 type repeat events in this country. Thanks to those responsible for our national security in a PC world.

Coincidental that he was going into Michigan which is the same stat that our friends from TX packing the cell phones were also apprehended in. Maybe somethings up with MI.

I am not surprised at the amount of currency this U.S. citizen was carrying. It is known that Africa, (in particular certain countries) has numerous scandals involving unclaimed inheritance related transactions. This latest discovery at the Detriot Airport could very well be related to one of those numerous on-going, unlaimed inheritance scams. Carrying such a large amount of cash for someone doing business with African related banks is not in itself unheard of, simply because of the enormous banking and finacial restrictions imposed on African Banks by the the the US Treasury's office of Foreign Asset Control. Regarding his nuclear info on his laptop is another story. Their are laws in this country that allow people freedom of obtaining information on what they want. I guess terrorism related accusations at this point are way to early, in the content of the on-going investigation. Any such allegations are purely speculative at this point. Authorities must first establish a clear and convincing reason that such possession of nuclear material were inherently associated with terror related activity.

Bravo ICE!
Of course, alarms are going to go off in an airport when you have more than $10,000.00 in cash in your pocket, in this case perhaps more than $20,000.00 or even more, arriving from another nation, with a laptop containing some questionable information or instruction.
Regardless, You do not come into this country thinking everything will be fine and dandy -- that is, no checks, no suspicions -- when you consider that about five Septembers ago we had a bit of a problem in some cities known as New York and Washington DC.
The trojan horse succeded once, but not again.
Hail to ICE and to Homeland Security.

Unfortunately we have to trust the government in this case regarding "nuclear information".
Would he have been stopped if he was white?

This was a bogus stop! In the end, we will find out he is a nuclear pysicist or a grad student. I am curious to know what alerted customs officials to the Nigerian. Federal agencies in the Detroit airport are especially notorious for developing false, racially-informed profiles of alleged criminals and the stopping good people for wrong reasons based on them. (The grandfather of criminal profiles was created by a federal agency at Detroit Metro airport. But also observe that Chicago customs was exposed for mostly stopping Black women for drugs althugh Black women were the least likely to be transporters.)

So, what prompted customs to take a more searching look at this traveller--and find an amount above 10K--let alone search so extensively as to apparently search foro a power cord and rifle through files. I don't know what about him caused customs to alert to the money. I don't know why just $78,000 would lead the police to look for anything related to the suspect's computer, let alone suggest tha tthe suspect was engaged in high espionage. (Surely, a rival nation-state would have to pay more to a nuclear mule than $78,000--especially to a non-citizen mule (Nigerian haas never been accused as a U.S. rival.))

Finally, even were the suspect a nuclear mule, I am not clear that information on nuclear information and cyanide stored on a laptop (apparently downloaded from an available internet site)demonstrates probable cause in regard to any federal offense: Is it even possible to build anything nuclear in the United States without early detection?(see Iran) What does the cyanide recipes tend to show? I know terrorism my bombs, amthrax, and planes. I don't know this destruction by cyanide recipes but maybe I have it wrong.

"bringing more than $10K per person into the country without reporting/declaring it is a federal offense."

Why?

Just to be clear, the government doesn't need probable cause, or any cause, for a border search.

Joe

This is in response to Charging Thunder's comment. I guess it will be very appropiate if Charging Thunder had read the news before posting.
I am a Nigerian and this man according to the news was an Ethopian. Can you say a Cuban descent is also an America descent? I guess not, please study and do your geography before posting negative comments about a country.
Regards,
Dave.

Why do people have such a problem with the Feds looking at, detaining and searching something/someone of suspicion?

Were you the same people who took a hissy after 9/11 because the Gov't didn't take action?

God forbid, but if we do have another terroist attack in this country I'm sure you don't want to be the one standing next to the bomb.

An ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure. Our biased press is usually quick to offer 20/20 hindsight and ask the 'shoulda, coulda, woulda" questions. Well, the folks responsible to national security are on the job and providing those answers now! I can't imagine why anyone from the Middle East would route though Detroit with nuclear information and 365 ways to use cyanide. But, just maybe there is something wrong with this picture? Does cynaide in the public water supply and dirty bombs ring a bell?

Why are folks inattentive to the details reported concerning this gentleman? He is of Ethiopian origin; he is Oromo as I gathered from his name (which may be relevant); and he is, most important of all, a United States citizen.

The officials had his money; and they had his computer. Since they had his address too, it was unnecessary to arrest him, in my opinion.

It is a border and a country has a right to suspect/inspect what goes in and out despite who is a suspect or subject of inspection. The same would have happened to him if he had to go to another country--let say his own country of origin ethiopia. It is even worse there for security matters. After all, if he has nothing to do with what has been already said by the Feds, he will be at home again. So what is the fuss about this?

Awwwww Hell.... Don't worry... the new Democrats will protect us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I believe this to be a diversion. All eyes are looking in one direction while the "real" activity is happening in another. The terrorists have been here and have formed "sleeping cells" long before 9/11. It wouldn't suprise me in the least if some of them were already employed as customs officials. I pray that I'm proven wrong!

Users Joe and nazwari are correct: the US Government has the right to inspect anything entering the United States, regardless of a person's citizenship or related legal status. They cannot, however, arrest someone without probable cause. On the other hand, it looks much better to any jury when a person is suspected because of something outward.

With respect to Joe from Tuscon and Bob, I reserve the right to respectfully disagree. First of all, I feel quite unsafe knowing that friends of mine have entered airplanes, post 9/11, with box-cutters and/or pocket-knives (they didn't know about them until either en route or after their arrival). Maybe I'm just extremely cynical, but it seems TSA's major function is to take things and auction them on eBay. Second, I will not allow my fear of something whose likelihood of occuring is extrememly remote (i.e. has less a chance of happening than getting struck by lightning) prevent someone from possessing information about such an unlikely event. I myself know a bit about nuclear and radiological devices insofar as the physics and engineering of them are concerned, but I would never use that information to harm the USA. I also know how to make Cyanide, but that is hardly illegal. Does it make any difference that I am a white Christian guy who was born to two US citizens on an American military base in Japan? To hold this guy solely because he had information, however extensive, about cyanide or nuclear weapons would amount to thought-crime. I don't approve at all of terrorist actions nor what they represent; however, I equally cannot approve of my government persecuting or prosecuting people based on their knowledge. Regardless of what he "could" do with the information, he hasn't, so far as we know, done anything with it yet.

Oh, and one last point. Just because there have been no attacks since 9/11, that doesn't mean that any given policy is responsible for that. That argument is completely non-sequitor.

It's funny that this guy got flagged because a high percentage of U.S. Currency is contaminated with various drugs!

Remember when everyone went nuts back in 1994 after the revelation that O.J. had $10 grand on him? This yutz not only had $78K on him, but it was $60K more than he said he was carrying! This would have set off alarms in the pre-9/11 world (or at least I hope it would have).

The other big clue that most people posting here seem to be missing is that this putz had a laptop with him without a power source. How many people travel with a laptop and take the batteries out of it? Why would you travel with a lap top without at least bringing your a/c cord with you? This was a good catch by law enforcement, and both the cash and the laptop with no battery satisfy probable cause, even without finding the nukular and cyanide information on the computer. (mispelling intentional)

Maybe he will in the end be released. Maybe.. but heck yes they did the right thing looking into him further. It wasn't the money. It wasn't the computer. It was BOTH things combined! they did the right thing. dah