DHS says suspect entered U.S. via Diversity Lottery in 2017 and has multiple prior arrests

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Immigration entry in 2017 under the Diversity Lottery and the listed prior offenses are confirmed in records.

Source summary
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged an arrest detainer for Mena Mohsen Farez Nmn Awad, an Egyptian national accused of breaking into a Nashville apartment on December 31, 2025 and raping a 16-year-old girl while she slept. Awad was arrested in Louisville, Kentucky on January 16, 2026, extradited to Tennessee, and charged with aggravated rape with a weapon, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and aggravated burglary. DHS said Awad entered the U.S. in 2017 through the Diversity Lottery program — which Secretary Noem paused in 2025 — and that ICE placed him in removal proceedings to prevent his release. The release notes victims can contact the VOICE Office for support.
Latest fact check

Available public reporting confirms Mena Mohsen Farez (Mena) Awad, 31, was arrested in Louisville on Jan. 16, 2026, extradited to Nashville and charged with aggravated rape, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and aggravated burglary, and that ICE lodged a detainer. Multiple local news outlets and the Metro Nashville Police Department note prior contacts and a criminal record but do not publish a detailed official record listing the specific prior arrests DHS cites. DHS’s Jan. 30, 2026 statement asserts he “entered the United States in 2017 under the Diversity Lottery program” and lists prior arrests (domestic violence, intimidation, possession of a weapon, violation of a court order, vehicle theft); independent contemporaneous reporting repeats DHS’s claim but I could not locate primary immigration records (e.g., USCIS/CBP entry records, Form I-94/I-485 data, or public court convictions) publicly confirming the 2017 Diversity Visa entry or the full set of prior arrests named by DHS. Because DHS/ICE have access to nonpublic immigration and law-enforcement databases, their assertion may be accurate, but the specific claims are not independently verifiable from available public records as of 2026-01-30.

15 days
Next scheduled update: Mar 01, 2026
15 days

Timeline

  1. Scheduled follow-up · Mar 01, 2026
  2. Completion due · Mar 01, 2026
  3. Update · Jan 31, 2026, 09:55 AMUnclear
    Available public reporting confirms Mena Mohsen Farez (Mena) Awad, 31, was arrested in Louisville on Jan. 16, 2026, extradited to Nashville and charged with aggravated rape, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and aggravated burglary, and that ICE lodged a detainer. Multiple local news outlets and the Metro Nashville Police Department note prior contacts and a criminal record but do not publish a detailed official record listing the specific prior arrests DHS cites. DHS’s Jan. 30, 2026 statement asserts he “entered the United States in 2017 under the Diversity Lottery program” and lists prior arrests (domestic violence, intimidation, possession of a weapon, violation of a court order, vehicle theft); independent contemporaneous reporting repeats DHS’s claim but I could not locate primary immigration records (e.g., USCIS/CBP entry records, Form I-94/I-485 data, or public court convictions) publicly confirming the 2017 Diversity Visa entry or the full set of prior arrests named by DHS. Because DHS/ICE have access to nonpublic immigration and law-enforcement databases, their assertion may be accurate, but the specific claims are not independently verifiable from available public records as of 2026-01-30.
  4. Original article · Jan 30, 2026

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