Agents search home in connection to USF students

TAMPA — The FBI on Saturday raided a home in Temple Terrace in connection with two University of South Florida students who stand accused of carrying explosives in a Toyota Camry.

Agents executed a search warrant about 8 a.m. at 12402 Pampas Place and stayed several hours, said FBI spokesman Dave Couvertier. The home is owned by Noor Salhab, property records show.

A neighbor said Thursday night that Salhab and his wife are living in a rented home nearby on Soaring Avenue. Records show the owner of the house on Soaring Avenue is Sameeh Hammoudeh, a co-defendant in the trial of Sami Al-Arian. Al-Arian was a USF professor who was tried for funding terrorists organizations. He was acquitted but pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to provide services to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Salhab's son, Ghassan Salhab, is living at the Pampas Place house with roommates. One of the roommates is Ahmad Ishtay. Back in July, Tampa police cited Ishtay and Ahmed A. Mohamed, one of the two USF students being held in South Carolina, for shooting squirrels in a park.

Dong-Phuong Nguyen, Times staff writer