Jordanian man arrested for making bomb threat that shut down South Carolina highway

A Jordanian man was arrested in South Carolina on Thursday after allegedly making a false bomb threat during a traffic stop, causing Interstate 85 to be shut down for nearly five hours.

The incident began around 2:45 pm when state transport police stopped 28-year-old Ahmad Jamal Khamees Alhendi's tractor-trailer for having a missing license plate. During the stop, Alhendi told the officer there was an explosive device in the vehicle, per Fox News.

According to Jewish News Syndicate, Alhendi is from Jordan and entered the country legally in 2018, however, he "failed to comply with the terms of his legal admittance."

Alhendi’s comments led authorities, including the Greenville County Sheriff's Office, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), and the FBI, to investigate the threat. Traffic on all six lanes of I-85 was halted while the 18-wheeler was inspected. The vehicle was ultimately cleared, and the interstate reopened at approximately 7:40 pm.

Alhendi now faces multiple charges, including conveying false information about a bomb threat, breach of peace of a high and aggravated nature, and operating a vehicle without a license plate. He appeared in court on Friday, where a total surety bond of $20,238 was set for the three charges.

He is currently being held at the Greenville County Detention Center. A spokesperson for the detention center confirmed to Fox News that Alhendi is under an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer.

The tractor-trailer Alhendi was driving was registered to Globe Transportation, based in Illinois. While the company confirmed that Alhendi is an employee, it has not commented further on the situation.