Norwegian police have opened a new investigation into Vasquez and his ties to ISIS.
In 2012 he was arrested for making threats against the Norwegian royal family and former Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg in a You Tube video. His Norwegian lawyer, John Christian Elden, says in an interview in El Mercurio that he became radicalized after his arrest:
"He could not believe that an arrest like that possible in a democracy ... He was an ordinary young man with a family who came from Chile.
His lawyer said that after the arrest he felt “stigmatized by the PST and Norwegian media.”
Apparently, he failed to appear in court for the charge, and the case is still open.
Also in 2012, he protested the involvement of Norwegian troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. (A photo is here, he is in the center wearing the white robes). It is believed he went to Syria shortly after the 2012 protest.
Vásquez is also known to be a friend of Mohyeldeen Mohammad, a Norwegian-Iraqi who made headlines in 2010 when he called for a “Norwegian Sept. 11” after newspaper Dagbladet published a cartoon of the prophet Muhammad. According to Akerhaug, Mohammad is a central figure in the Norwegian jihadi movement and one of the first to travel to Syria.
There aren't a lot of articles in English about him. Most are from the Norwegian and Chilean media, which you can roughly translate using Google translate or Chrome. Links below are to the articles in their original language.
In Norway, in 2008, he was a rapper and member of the Norway's hip-hop and skateboarding community, who showed no signs of radicalism. Then he began associating with the group Profeta Ummah. He converted to Islam in 2008 or 2009. He told a reporter he planned to go to Syria to join the fight there. In 2013, he posted on Facebook (under the name Abu Safiyya) that he was with ISIS in Aleppo
Norway is being tight-lipped about its newest investigation into Vasquez. It does say the basis for the investigation is a suspected violation of a 2013 law, Penal Code section 147d, which is essentially providing material support to a terror organization. The penalty is six years in prison.
Some articles say he is a leader in ISIS. One says it is unknown why he has risen higher in ISIS than other Norwegians, of whom about 50 are believed to have joined foreign terror groups. It says it is unlikely to be his fighting ability, as he's quite small in stature.
How about this: He's quadri-lingual (speaking Spanish, English, Norwegian and Arabic) and a performer who is comfortable in front of a camera, with charismatic appeal to potential young recruits. As I said previously, he seems straight out of Central Casting. Perfect for the role of ISIS tour guide. Watch the video and see if you don't agree.
