New Mexico Compound Suspect Discovered to Be Illegal Immigrant

One of the five suspects arrested at a Muslim compound in New Mexico is an illegal immigrant who has been in the United States for more than 20 years, officials said.

Jany Leveille, also known as Maryam, was detained by officials with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on August 14 after the discovery was made.

“Leveille has been unlawfully present in the U.S. for more than 20 years after overstaying the validity of her non-immigrant visitor visa,” ICE said in a statement.

The 35-year-old is originally from Haiti, officials said.

A judge granted bail for the five adults arrested at the New Mexico compound but Leveille was among those still held because of her immigration status.

Conditions at a compound in rural New Mexico where 11 children were taken into protective custody for their own health and safety after a raid by authorities are shown in this photo near Amalia, N.M., provided Aug. 6, 2018. Taos County Sheriff's Office/Handout via Reuters

‘Extremist Muslim’

Taos County Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe said that the occupants of the compound “were most likely heavily armed and considered extremist of the Muslim belief.”

Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, portrayed as the head of the compound, is the son of controversial Brooklyn imam Siraj Wahhaj.

Leveille used to work at the imam’s mosque, Masjid Al-Taqwa, as a secretary, according to Patch.

Leveille is married to the younger Wahhaj.

Prosecutors said that Leveille and the four other adults were training the cadre of children at the compound in the remote desert to carry out school shootings.

The 11 children ranged in age from 1 to 15.

Nine of them are grandchildren of the imam, as the two other women arrested at the compound are his daughters.

Siraj Ibn Wahhaj (L), sits next to public defense attorney Aleks Kostich at his first appearance in New Mexico state district court in Taos, N.M., Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Morgan Lee/AP

Move to the Desert

One relative of the Wahhaj family said that Leveille, Ibn Wahhaj’s wife, was behind the group’s decision to move into the desert and acted as a religious guru of sorts.

“Mariam is the one who’s practicing that black magic on them,” Tariq Abdur Rashid, whose daughter is married to Ibn Wahhaj’s brother, told The Epoch Times. The brother and his wife weren’t involved in the New Mexico affair.

Rashid said he saw evidence of Leveille’s performing rituals he recognized as a form of occultism not unusual in Haiti, which he said was Leveille’s country of origin. He said Leveille convinced Ibn Wahhaj and others that she was a “messiah.”

“She set herself up as the interpreter of God’s word,” he said.

Luqman Morton, one of the suspects, delivered a letter to Muhammad Wahhaj, Ibn Wahhaj’s brother, before the move instructing him to join in their mission.

“Take all your money out of the bank and bring your guns,” the letter stated, reported KOAT. “Allah says he will protect you always, so follow, until he makes you die as a martyr as you wanted and the only way is by joining the righteous (us).”

The author is believed to be Leveille or her husband.

A view of the compound where 11 children were taken in protective custody after a raid by authorities near Amalia, N.M., on Aug. 10, 2018. Reuters/Andrew Hay

The 3-Year-Old’s Death

The search of the compound originally took place to search for a missing 3-year-old, Siraj Ibn Wahhaj’s son with another woman.

Siraj Ibn Wahhaj has been charged with abducting the severely ill 3-year-old son from the Atlanta home of the boy’s mother in December.

Prosecutors said in court that the boy was found buried at the compound.

Prosecutor John Lovelace said the 3-year-old boy died during “a religious ritual” intended to “cast out demonic spirits,” reported Reuters.

The boy stopped breathing and soon died during a ceremony, prosecutors said. Wahhaj had placed his hand on the boy’s head and was reciting verses from the Koran just before the boy began suffering seizures and foaming at the mouth. He was soon dead.

Ibn Wahhaj’s 15-year-old son recounted to officials that one of the adults told him the spirit of the dead boy would return as “Jesus” to direct the group on where to carry out the violent attacks they were allegedly training for.

Prosecutors said Leveille led the group and was the one who spread the belief that the boy would be reincarnated to attack banks, schools, and government agencies, reported USA Today, citing an FBI agent’s testimony.

“Jany had a message from God that they needed to leave and head to New Mexico and that Abdul Wahhaj, once the demons were expelled from his body through religious rituals, that he would become Jesus and once he became Jesus he would instruct the others on the property, the family, what corrupt institutions to get rid of,” testified FBI agent Travis Taylor, who interviewed two of the oldest children.

From The Epoch Times