Federal investigation launched into disappearance of Saudi Arabian students ...

The federal government has opened a multi-agency investigation into more than one dozen Saudi Arabian individuals who have disappeared from at least eight states following being charged or convicted of serious crimes, possibly with the help of their native government.

US Senator for Oregon Ron Wyden was informed of the operation during a meeting with US Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan on Wednesday, according to The Oregonian.

After the Saudi government was accused last month of helping five citizens studying in Oregon flee after they were accused of crimes, an investigation by the outlet found similar cases in Montana, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin.

Another two cases were discovered in Nova Scotia, Canada.

So far, at least 17 young Saudi men, all studying at college, have disappeared following accusations or convictions of crimes including manslaughter, rape and possession of child porn, with what appears to be assistance from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 

Federal agencies have launched an investigation into more than one dozen Saudi Arabian students who have fled from at least eight states in the US and parts of Canada after being charged or convicted of serious crimes including manslaughter, rape and possession of child porn, at the urging of US Senator for Oregon Ron Wyden (pictured)

Wyden was informed of the operation during a meeting with US Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan (pictured) on Wednesday

Federal agencies have launched an investigation into more than one dozen Saudi Arabian students who have fled from at least eight states in the US and parts of Canada after being charged or convicted of serious crimes including manslaughter, rape and possession of child porn, at the urging of US Senator for Oregon Ron Wyden (left), who was informed of the operation during a meeting with US Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan (right) on Wednesday

Wyden, a member of the Senate’s Select Committee on Intelligence, asked McAleenan one month ago to look into the disappearance of five Saudi men who had been studying at a public college or university with assistance from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the time of their arrest. 

'I am confident that he is taking this issue seriously,' Wyden said of McAleenan in a statement. 'I urged him to proceed aggressively.' 

The men missing from Oregon alone include two accused rapists, two suspected hit-and-run drivers and one man accused of being in possession of a vast collection of child pornography on his computer.   

The Saudi government paid the bail and legal fees of at least four of those men. Although three surrendered their passports, all of them have gone missing and at least two returned to Saudi Arabia, federal law enforcement officials confirmed. 

Wyden has also formally requested answers from the State and Justice departments and the FBI regarding the fugitives, with no response to date from the three agencies. 

Fallon Smart

Abdulrahman Semeer Noorah

Abdulrahman Semeer Noorah (right) is believed to have fled on a jet with the help of the Saudi consulate in June, just weeks before his manslaughter trial was starting over the hit-and-run death of 15-year-old Fallon Smart (left) in Portland in 2016

Abdulrahman Semeer Noorah, 23, is believed to have fled on a private jet with the help of his country's consulate in June last year, just weeks before he was due to stand trial for killing a 15-year-old girl in a 2016 ht-and-run.  

Wyden said in a letter, first obtained by The Oregonian, to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the acting attorney general, Matthew Whitaker, on February 8 that the new theory from authorities that Noorah used an illicit passport to fly home on a private jet provided by the Saudi consulate should be reason to push forward with action.

Noorah's case made international headlines in December following uproar over the killing of US-based Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered inside the country's consulate in Istanbul in October.   

Officials revealed in December that they were working to get Noorah extradited back to the US after he removed his court-ordered ankle monitor and supposedly used an illegal passport to flee the country. 

The Saudi government only recently informed US authorities that Noorah, who was a Portland Community College student, had returned to Saudi Arabia seven days after he went missing. 

Noorah had been released from jail at the time on a $100,000 bond that the Saudi consulate paid.  He vanished after being picked up from his college campus in a black SUV. 

Suliman Ali Algwaiz

Waleed Ali Alharthi

Portland State University student Suliman Ali Algwaiz (left) was arrested in August 2016 after he drunkenly struck a homeless man with his car. Waleed Ali Alharthi (right), who was an Oregon State University student, was found in possession of child porn in April 2015

Portland State University student Suliman Ali Algwaiz was arrested in August 2016 after he drunkenly struck a homeless man with his car. 

He fled the scene but was later sentenced to 90 days in jail. 

Algwaiz was serving his sentence at weekends, but vanished before completing the 90 days and a warrant for his arrest is still outstanding.  

Waleed Ali Alharthi, who was an Oregon State University student, was found allegedly in possession of child porn in April of 2015. 

Police said they found pornographic videos on his laptop

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