He was crossing the United States-Canada border at Port Angeles, Washington on December 14, 1999 when United States Customs found nitroglycerin in the trunk of his automobile. He was arrested by customs for transporting the illegal explosives. He had shared a room with Abdelmajid Dahoumane, a suspected terrorist. A suitcase in the room which they lived in tested positive for chemicals used for making bombs.
For more information on the plot, see 2000 celebration terrorist attacks plot