▁Soviet ▁withdraw al . ▁He ▁also ▁fought ▁in ▁Leb anon ▁and ▁Che ch ny a ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s . ▁ ▁After ▁returning ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁he ▁and ▁his ▁brother ▁had ▁a ▁gar age ▁in ▁New ▁York . ▁Later ▁he ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁tax i ▁cab ▁driver ▁and ▁last , ▁became ▁a ▁tr uck ▁driver . ▁The ▁F BI ▁started ▁tracking ▁him , ▁and ▁they ▁inter rog ated ▁him ▁at ▁length ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁with ▁his ▁co operation . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁arrested ▁in ▁Texas ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁based ▁on ▁his ▁past ▁associations . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁he ▁was ▁conv icted ▁of ▁imm igration ▁fra ud , ▁sent enced ▁to ▁time ▁served ▁and ▁deport ed . ▁ ▁Entry ▁to ▁United ▁States ▁El z ah abi ▁entered ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁on ▁a ▁student ▁vis a . ▁He ▁was ▁married ▁that ▁year , ▁but ▁divor ced ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 . ▁The ▁marriage ▁later ▁led ▁to ▁his ▁criminal ▁conv iction ▁of ▁imm igration ▁fra ud . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁he ▁was ▁granted ▁permanent ▁resident ▁status . ▁ ▁Afghan istan ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁El z ah abi ▁attended ▁a ▁religious ▁conference ▁in ▁the ▁Mid - West ern ▁United ▁States , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁persu aded ▁to ▁travel ▁to ▁Afghan istan ▁to ▁help ▁rep el ▁the