Man claims racial profiling in search that uncovered drugs

A 25-year-old Ethiopian man is asking a federal magistrate judge to suppress a search of his belongings at the Eastern Iowa Airport on Jan. 14, where immigration agents recovered marijuana, because the agents based the search on what they thought was gang attire and racial profiling.

Christopher Cantrell, special agent with Immigration Customs and Enforcement, testified Wednesday in U.S. District Court that he stopped Ambe Wodesso outside the airport as he was getting off a bus because Wodesso was wearing a black Pittsburgh Pirates baseball cap with a red letter "P" on the front and red laces in his tennis shoes. Cantrell, who has special training with gang investigations, said that gang members wear sports attire with non-traditional colors and often red shoes laces. A traditional Pirates cap has a yellow letter "P."

Wodesso told Cantrell more than once he wasn't affiliated with a gang, Cantrell said. Wodesso told the agent he was born in East Africa and showed him his Minnesota driver's license and green card, which allowed him to be in the United States. Wodesso also said he had a criminal history.

Wodesso's criminal history includes drunken driving offenses, a failure to appear in court, disorderly conduct and second-degree theft, according to the government's resistance of the motion to suppress.

Cantrell, accompanied by three other agents, said he continued to question Wodesso as they asked him to come inside the airport terminal near the baggage claim area. Wodesso was then asked if he had any tattoos and showed the agents a tattoo on his arm. The tattoo wasn't gang affiliated but it had wording similar to Oromo Liberation front, who is identified as a terrorist group by Ethiopia. Wodesso also had a flag of the resistance group, he said.

Wodesso claims the agents were engaged in racial profiling when they stopped him, according to the motion filed last week. He also claims the search of his belongings were unlawfully seized by the agents and they didn't obtain voluntary consent from him.

The hearing resumed at 1 p.m. with the defense's testimony. We'll bring you more details as soon as they're available.