Two Jordanian illegal immigrants charged with attempting to break into Marine Corps Base Quantico in May have been allowed to be released from federal custody after posting thousands of dollars in bail, The Washington Post has learned exclusively.
Hasan Yousef Hamdan, 32, and Mohamed Khail Dabous, 28, were released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody despite their immigration status. Hamdan entered the country illegally in April, and Dabous was subject to deportation proceedings because he overstayed his student visa, law enforcement sources told The Post.
They were arrested on May 3 for allegedly trespassing on a military installation and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents for questions about their immigration status.
It remains unclear why the men attempted to break into the base.
The site is home to the FBI Academy and FBI Laboratory, as well as a Defense Intelligence Agency facility and several major Marine Corps headquarters, including the unit that flies Marine One, the presidential helicopter.
“It’s a massive breach, a security failure,” a federal law enforcement source told The Washington Post.
“If it was not an act of terrorism, why are government authorities not releasing details? What was their intention?”
Both men posted bail in the ICE cases — Hamdan was set at $15,000 and Dabous was set at $10,000 — and were released in early June, according to federal law enforcement sources.
Hamdan and Dabous were charged with trespassing on a military facility and appeared before a judge for the first time on July 22. Release Order To Conditions of Appearance They have been ordered to leave Quantico and other military bases while their immigration cases are processed, according to court documents. The story was first reported by Todd Bensman of the Center for Immigration Studies..
Federal prosecutors supported release under those conditions, according to court documents.
Federal law enforcement sources told The Washington Post that Hamdan entered the US illegally through the southern border in San Diego in April but was released due to a lack of detention space.
Sources said Daboos had overstayed his student visa and was in the US illegally.
They were given summonses on the trespassing charges and ordered to appear in federal court in Alexandria on July 22, according to court documents.
Magistrate Judge William B. Porter approved their release on the condition that they continue to appear for upcoming trials in their criminal and immigration cases.
They must also refrain from trespassing on government property, including the Quantico facility, according to court documents.
Capt. Michael Curtis, a base spokesman, previously told The Post that the two Jordanian nationals lied to security at Quantico, claiming they worked for an Amazon subcontractor and were there to make a delivery.
Officers quickly determined it was inappropriate for the pair to be there.
The men in the box truck ignored the directions of military guards and attempted to drive onto the base before being stopped by vehicle barriers.
The case caught the attention of Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, who called on the Biden administration to explain what happened and criticized the federal government for “failing to disclose the immigration status of those involved.”
“The Biden Administration’s failure to secure our border has brought this crisis to our military installations’ front doors,” Youngkin said at the time.
It took two weeks for Quantico’s higher-ups to inform rank-and-file staff about the attempted break-in. Matt Strickland, 40, was the first to report the incident to a local news site. Potomac Local Newshe previously told The Washington Post.
“I [raised the alarm]”I’ve had messages from people who work at Quantico saying, ‘Seriously, when is this going to happen?'” Strickland said.
“Two weeks after the incident, Quantico finally notified base employees via email.”
Curtis said the attempted intrusion was “immediately reported to the necessary military authorities.”
He added that “in any case that is determined to be an imminent threat to the base or its residents, all individuals who work and live at Marine Corps Base Quantico will be kept informed through mass notification and other means.”
Criminal lawyers for Mr. Hamdan and Mr. Dabous did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday.
A trial for the two defendants is scheduled for September.
Additional reporting by Priscilla DeGregory
