US updates ‘Worst of the Worst’ deportation list, adds 12 Ghanaians as Nigeria tops West African count

• The US has updated its “Worst of the Worst” deportation list, increasing the number of Ghanaians named from 32 to 44.

• 12 new Ghanaian names have been added to the updated list, which includes photos and details of offences linked to those listed.

• Nigeria tops the West African count with 134 names, followed by Liberia with 111 and Ghana with 44.

The United States government has updated its “Worst of the Worst” criminal aliens database, increasing the number of Ghanaians named on the list from 32 to 44.

The updated database published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) now contains 427 individuals from West Africa, with their photographs and details of the criminal charges or offences associated with their cases.

The latest update means 12 additional Ghanaians have been added to the 32 names previously reported by Pulse Ghana in June 2026.

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The database, maintained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), identifies non-citizens who have been convicted of offences and are subject to immigration enforcement action. DHS describes those featured as “worst of the worst” criminal offenders.

Ghana is now the third most represented West African country on the updated list, behind Nigeria, with 134 individuals, and Liberia, with 111.

The other countries represented include Cape Verde with 26, Senegal with 22, Côte d'Ivoire and The Gambia with 15 each, Mauritania with 12, Burkina Faso and Niger with 10 each, Sierra Leone with nine, Togo with seven, Guinea with six, Mali with five, and Guinea-Bissau and Benin with one each.

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The offences recorded across the database range from fraud, identity theft and money laundering to robbery, drug-related offences, sexual offences and immigration-related crimes.

Among the additional Ghanaian names now appearing on the database is Success Bounte, who was arrested in Newark, New Jersey, and is listed in connection with identity theft, robbery, burglary and credit card fraud. The record also notes an alleged gang affiliation with the West Side Rolling 60s.

Charles Amofa, arrested in Hagerstown, Maryland, is listed in connection with kidnapping charges, while Kofi Osei, arrested in Hopewell, Virginia, faces charges including wire fraud, false statement fraud and money laundering.

Daniel Jackson-Caternor, arrested in Baltimore, Maryland, is listed in connection with drug-related charges.

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Other newly listed Ghanaians include George Hayford, who was arrested in Orlando, Florida, on fraud charges; Eric Amoah, arrested in Dumfries, Virginia, over alleged immigration document fraud and money laundering; and Gifty Kusi, arrested in Westerville, Ohio, in connection with fraud-related charges.

The updated database also includes nationals from Togo, Guinea and several other West African countries.

The update comes amid intensified immigration enforcement in the United States under President Donald Trump.

According to DHS data, 478 Ghanaians were arrested by ICE in 2025. As of October 2025, approximately 2,470 Ghanaian nationals were being held in U.S. detention facilities pending deportation, one of the highest figures recorded for the country.

Data also shows that 312 Ghanaians were deported to Accra between January and August 2025, representing a 17% increase compared with the same period in 2024.

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The increase in arrests and removals has been linked to stricter immigration enforcement measures, including the Global Enforcement Initiative launched in April 2025 and an executive order issued in February 2025 prioritising the removal of individuals with criminal convictions or those considered national security risks.

However, U.S. immigration authorities note that an ICE arrest does not automatically result in deportation, as each case is subject to further legal and administrative review.