CINCINNATI — ICE removed a convicted Burkinabe coup leader from the United States following his arrest on June 9, 2025, by ICE Detroit agents and officers in Cincinnati.

Daouda Begnon II Kone was removed to Burkina Faso Aug. 5 pursuant to a final order of removal from an immigration judge.

During his immigration proceedings, the court found Kone was ineligible for immigration benefits and that he participated and assisted in the persecution of others during the Sept. 16, 2015, coup d’etat while he was a member of the Presidential Security Regiment under the regime of President Blaise Compaore.

Kone was convicted in Burkina Faso of complicity in an attack on state security, voluntary assault and battery, and murder. He was sentenced to serve seven years in prison, including five years suspended.

“The removal of Kone underscores the important work of ICE HSI agents in investigating those who apply for immigration benefits under false pretenses,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. “You cannot come to the U.S. and try to hide war crimes.”

“The dedicated officers of ERO Detroit are committed to removing this public safety threat and others like him from our communities across Michigan and Ohio,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Detroit acting Field Office Director Kevin Raycraft. “I encourage members of the public to report additional human rights violators to the ICE tipline at 866-DHS-2-ICE.”

The case was investigated by HSI New York and supported by the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center along with significant assistance from HSI and ERO Detroit’s Cincinnati sub-office.

Established in 2009, the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center furthers the government’s efforts to identify, locate and prosecute human rights abusers in the U.S., including those who are known or suspected to have participated in persecution, war crimes, genocide, torture, extrajudicial killings, female genital mutilation and the use or recruitment of child soldiers. Currently, HSI has more than 180 active investigations into suspected human rights violators and is pursuing more than 1,945 leads and removals cases involving suspected human rights violators from 95 different countries. Since 2003, the HRVWCC has issued more than 79,000 lookouts for potential perpetrators of human rights abuses, and stopped over 390 human rights violators and war crimes suspects from entering the U.S.

Members of the public who have information about potential former human rights violators in the U.S. are urged to contact U.S. law enforcement through the ICE tip line at 866-DHS-2-ICE. They can also email HRV.ICE@ice.dhs.gov or complete the online tip form .