ATLANTA — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has deported a notorious Liberian rebel commander, known by the alias “Black Diamond,” for her role in recruiting and leading child soldiers during the nation’s brutal civil wars.
Mayama Sesay, 43, was removed to Liberia on Sept. 5 after a years-long legal battle. As a commander in the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), a rebel group opposing former President Charles Taylor, Sesay was infamous for her brutality. At just 22, she led an all-female unit called the Women’s Artillery Commandos and was accused of recruiting children, torturing captives, and using mortar bombs to terrorize both military personnel and civilians.
Sesay entered the U.S. on a visitor’s visa in March 2014 and later applied for permanent residency after marrying a U.S. citizen. However, her application unraveled when she denied any connection to the LURD or the “Black Diamond” persona during an immigration interview.
An immigration judge found her testimony not credible, ruling that she had indeed recruited and used child soldiers—a grave violation that made her ineligible to remain in the country. The judge ordered her removal in May 2022, a decision upheld by the Board of Immigration Appeals. ICE Atlanta officers took her into custody in April 2025, leading to her eventual deportation.
“This case demonstrates our unwavering commitment to ensuring the United States does not serve as a safe haven for human rights abusers and war criminals,” said an ICE spokesperson. “We will continue to pursue and remove those who have participated in such atrocities from our communities.”
The case was prosecuted by ICE’s Office of the Principal Legal Advisor in Atlanta with crucial support from the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC). The HRVWCC, led by Homeland Security Investigations, is dedicated to investigating and prosecuting individuals implicated in war crimes, genocide, and other severe human rights abuses.
Since 2003, the center has issued over 79,000 lookouts for suspected violators and has barred more than 390 individuals from entering the United States.
