The Republican candidate challenging Rep. Ilhan Omar in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District has accused Somali gangs of operating a gun-running network in Minneapolis, pointing to recent shootings in the city's suburbs. John Nagel, a retired state trooper, made the remarks in an interview with Fox News Digital, coinciding with a federal investigation into alleged immigration fraud involving Omar.
Nagel stated that Minneapolis faces two primary issues: terrorism and Somali gang violence. He cited the FBI's thwarting of a terror attack at the Mall of America on October 7, 2026, and recent gang-related shootings. According to court documents, an 18-year-old suspect arrested in the Mall of America plot had pledged allegiance to an ISIS offshoot. Separately, authorities have linked Somali gangs to a mass shooting at Eden Prairie High School and a subsequent retaliatory shooting in Bloomington, where over 100 rounds of ammunition were fired.
"They don't necessarily deal in drugs yet. They're kind of a low-level gang, but they're still vicious," Nagel said of the gangs involved in the suburban shootings. "Primarily, they deal in guns. They buy and sell guns, illicit guns. They're also the ones that know how to take and remove some parts and basically turn a pistol into a little mini machine gun."
Nagel suggested that while various ethnic groups are involved in gang activity, there is a specific problem with Somali gangs in the Twin Cities. He criticized local officials and media for what he characterized as initial reluctance to acknowledge the issue, citing an instance where Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher was reportedly called a "racist" for raising concerns about Somali gang violence a year prior.
Nagel also addressed the federal investigation into Omar's immigration history, suggesting it should be straightforward for the Somali-born congresswoman to clarify any public misunderstandings. "She deserves the same investigation that everybody else would have, and in her own words, no one is above the law," he said. He added that while Omar is entitled to due process, clearing up her immigration status should be simple if she has nothing to hide.
Nagel expressed his belief that Omar prioritizes Somalia over the United States, stating, "Her first love is Somalia. She constantly tells people that. She constantly tell the United States how we're doing everything wrong, and she constantly tries to take the United States and weaken it."
Omar's office has not publicly commented on Nagel's remarks or the ongoing federal investigation into her immigration status. The congresswoman is facing a challenge from Nagel in the upcoming midterm elections for Minnesota's 5th Congressional District.