Federal agents say a man now living quietly in Michigan once worked as a top spy for Saddam Hussein’s brutal regime, and Homeland Security Investigations just hauled him in.
Story Snapshot
- Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents arrested Raad Alanbagi, alleging he was once a high-ranking Iraqi intelligence officer under Saddam Hussein.
- HSI Detroit announced the arrest, saying an agency-led investigation uncovered his ties to the former regime.
- No criminal charges have been filed against Alanbagi as of the announcement.
- The case highlights how America still screens for old regime operatives hiding among ordinary immigrant communities.
HSI Detroit Makes the Arrest
Homeland Security Investigations special agents arrested Raad Alanbagi after an HSI-led investigation found information tying him to prior service as a high-ranking Iraqi intelligence officer during the Saddam Hussein era. HSI Detroit announced the arrest directly, crediting its own team for the result. The agency used its official social media account to spread the news to the public.
The HSI post read plainly: “HSI special agents arrested Raad Alanbagi after an HSI-led investigation uncovered information tying him to prior service as a high-ranking Iraqi intelligence officer during the Saddam Hussein era”. The agency added that it “continues to safeguard our communities,” framing the arrest as part of its broader national security mission rather than a routine immigration sweep.
Federal authorities have arrested Raad Alanbagi in Farmington Hills after an investigation reportedly linked him to prior service as a high-ranking Iraqi intelligence officer during Saddam Hussein’s regime.
According to the reported HSI announcement, its Detroit office uncovered… pic.twitter.com/qwQi6oX10R
— ASNA (@AkhbarSite) September 14, 2026
No Charges Filed Yet
Reporting on the arrest made clear that no criminal charges have been filed against Alanbagi at this stage. That distinction matters. An arrest tied to a background investigation is not the same as a criminal conviction, and the legal process now moves forward from here. Still, the specific and detailed nature of the allegation gives the public a clear picture of why agents acted.
What Saddam’s Intelligence Machine Looked Like
Iraq under Saddam Hussein ran a sprawling intelligence network built to crush dissent and protect the dictator’s grip on power. The Iraqi Intelligence Service, known as the Mukhabarat, alone employed thousands of staff dedicated to internal security, foreign operations, and monitoring threats to regime leadership. Officers in that system often carried out surveillance, interrogation, and suppression duties against Saddam’s own people, making any high-ranking veteran of that apparatus a serious national security concern decades later.
Why This Case Fits a Bigger Pattern
Homeland Security Investigations regularly builds cases using background intelligence gathered over months or years before making a public arrest. Research on immigration enforcement shows agencies often rely on internal derogatory information that is not fully public when an arrest is first announced. That is standard practice for sensitive national security cases, where protecting sources and methods can limit what gets released right away.
This arrest lands squarely in that pattern. HSI named the man, named the allegation, and named the office that made the case. For conservatives who have watched years of lax vetting and porous borders, a case built on tracking down an alleged former enemy intelligence officer living inside the United States is exactly the kind of enforcement action they have demanded. It shows agents doing the patient investigative work needed to keep dangerous pasts from hiding in plain sight.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents have arrested Raad Alanbagi after an HSI-led investigation uncovered information tying him to prior service as a high-ranking Iraqi intelligence officer during the Saddam Hussein era. HSI Detroit announced the arrest in a…
— Patricia (@Patrici04211472) September 14, 2026
President Trump’s Department of Homeland Security has made clear that vetting who enters and remains in the country is a top priority. Cases like this one send a signal that agents are actively digging through immigration and residency records to find people whose backgrounds were never properly examined. Americans who value border security and national safety will be watching to see what comes next in Alanbagi’s case.
Sources:
thegatewaypundit.com, x.com, sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov, ein.org.uk
