Suspected illegal immigrant’s false bomb threat closes South Carolina highway

A suspected illegal immigrant was arrested Thursday in South Carolina after authorities said he made a false bomb threat during a traffic stop, ultimately leading to the closure of a stretch of the Interstate 85 for almost five hours.

Ahmad Jamal Khamees Alhendi, 28, was stopped around 2:45 p.m. by state transportation police for having a missing license plate on his tractor-trailer, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) .

That’s when Alhendi told a police officer there was an explosive device inside the SUV.

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All six lanes of I-85 were subsequently closed as the threat was investigated by the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED ) and the FBI.

The closure, which took place near Mile Marker 44, caused long delays and disrupted traffic.

The 18-wheeler was eventually extricated and all lanes of I-85 were reopened around 7:40 p.m.

Alhendi appeared in court on Friday and was charged with transmitting false information about a bomb threat, breach of the peace of a serious and aggravated nature and not having a driver’s license.

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He was given a total bond of $20,238 for all three charges and sent to the Greenville County Detention Center, Fox Carolina reports.

A spokesperson for the Greenville County Detention Center told Fox News Digital that Alhendi was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a notice of detention of a potential illegal immigrant who could be expelled from the country.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to ICE and the FBI for more information on Alhendi.

SCDPS said the tractor-trailer is registered to Globe Transportation in Illinois.

A company spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital that Alhendi works for Globe Transportation, but the company made no statement at this time.