Could Ahmad Khan Rahami’s wife provide clues about the bombing suspect and his plans?
Investigators want to speak with her, but they need to find her first.
Authorities haven’t released the wife’s name, and details about her background are scarce. Here’s what we’ve learned so far:
She recently left the United States.
Rahami’s wife left the United States a few days before Saturday’s bombings in New York and New Jersey, a law enforcement official said.
The official, who spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity, didn’t provide details about the wife’s travels but said authorities are working with officials in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates to gain access to her.
She married Rahami in Pakistan in 2011.
Rahami and his wife married in July 2011 in Pakistan, while Rahami was spending several weeks in the region, according to a law enforcement official who had reviewed his travel and immigration record.
Rahami had asked officials for help with her immigration paperwork.
That same year, Rahami filed a petition to bring his wife to the United States. The paperwork was approved in 2012, according to one official, who said it was unclear from the paperwork whether she’d come to the country.
Rahami ran into problems with his wife’s immigration paperwork in 2014 and contacted a US congressman for help.
US Rep. Albio Sires said Rahami contacted his office about concerns with his wife’s passport and visa. Her Pakistani passport had expired, according to Sires, and the US Consulate wouldn’t give her an immigrant visa until the passport was renewed. Once the passport was renewed, according to Sires, Rahami’s wife learned she was pregnant, and US officials told her they wouldn’t issue a visa until the baby was born. Then, according to Sires, officials said they’d have to get an immigrant visa for the baby, too.
Sires said he doesn’t know what happened next. At the time, he said, the consulate advised Rahami to travel to Karachi, Pakistan, but Rahami said it was too dangerous.