▁that ▁Vel ic ov ich ▁had ▁spent ▁years ▁hunting ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁IS IS , ▁Ab u ▁Bak r ▁al - Bag hd adi , ▁with ▁d ron es . ▁At ▁one ▁point , ▁Vel ic ov ich ' s ▁team ▁had ▁missed ▁al - Bag hd adi ▁by ▁mere ▁minutes ▁after ▁tracking ▁him ▁to ▁a ▁house ▁and ▁conduct ing ▁a ▁ra id ▁to ▁capture ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁closest ▁oper atives ▁in ▁Bag hd ad . ▁Ira q . ▁That ▁same ▁month , ▁Vel ic ov ich ▁told ▁G Q ▁Magazine ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁only ▁a ▁matter ▁of ▁time ▁before ▁al - Bag hd adi ▁would ▁be ▁found ▁by ▁American ▁forces . ▁ ▁In ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁Fox ▁News ▁reported ▁that ▁Vel ic ov ich ▁went ▁out ▁to ▁Houston , ▁T X ▁to ▁assist ▁vict ims ▁in ▁the ▁after math ▁of ▁H urr icane ▁Har vey ▁and ▁provide ▁dr one ▁support ▁to ▁search ▁and ▁rescue ▁operations . ▁His ▁d ron es ▁would ▁be ▁used ▁to ▁provide ▁instant ▁damage ▁assess ments ▁and ▁help ▁quickly ▁locate ▁vict ims ▁of ▁the ▁flo oding ▁for ▁first ▁respond ers . ▁Following ▁Har vey , ▁the ▁same ▁news ▁out let ▁claimed ▁he ▁moved ▁into ▁the ▁path ▁of ▁H urr icane ▁Ir ma ▁one ▁week ▁later ▁in ▁Florida ▁with ▁a ▁team ▁of ▁volunte er ▁medical ▁personnel ▁to ▁help ▁prepare ▁for ▁the ▁dis aster ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁storm ▁hitting ▁the ▁U . S . ▁main land . ▁ ▁Following ▁talk ▁of ▁plans ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Department