ICE agent captures NY man after 23 days on the run

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers detained Alpha Bah in New York City on Friday afternoon, concluding a 23 day search that began after local police released him from custody. Bah, a Guinean national, was accused of attacking a New York City police officer with a deadly weapon. He was taken into custody at approximately 3:25 p.m. at a temporary residence in the city, according to a Department of Homeland Security official.

Federal agents from the Enforcement and Removal Operations division gathered intelligence regarding Bah's location earlier in the day. Surveillance teams monitored the area and spotted a man matching Bah's description leaving the residence at 2:22 p.m. Officers waited before making the arrest because school aged children were present on the nearby street. An hour later, agents approached Bah while he was alone. They confirmed his identity using a biometric identification tool and a photograph before placing him under an administrative immigration arrest warrant.

Bah was transported to 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan for processing. His initial arrest occurred on Oct. 7, when he was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration, and intent to obtain transportation without paying. ICE had lodged a detainer with Queens Central Booking to hold him pending a federal transfer. Local authorities released Bah without notifying federal immigration officials of the pending request.

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin criticized the release in a statement issued prior to the Friday arrest. He described Bah as an "illegal alien from Guinea" who was charged with assaulting a police officer with a deadly weapon. Mullin stated that New York City sanctuary politicians refused to honor the detainer and released Bah back onto the streets. He urged Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani to end what he called "evil sanctuary policies" to prevent further harm.

The case drew scrutiny from federal officials who argued that local sanctuary policies allowed Bah to remain at large despite the immigration hold. The arrest ended the manhunt that had begun following his release from local custody on Oct. 7. Federal officers completed the post arrest procedures at the Manhattan facility following the detention.

Bah faced four specific charges during his initial booking. The federal government maintained a formal request to keep him in custody throughout the period he was free. Local law enforcement agencies had been notified of the detainer prior to his release. The federal team used standard identification protocols to verify his status before transport.