Recent reports have surfaced about the detention of individuals suspected to have ties with ISIS in various cities across the United States.
Six Russian nationals from Tajikistan, a post-Soviet republic in Central Asia, were apprehended in a well-coordinated operation in Los Angeles, New York City, and Philadelphia, as reported by The New York Post, with information from Immigration and Customs Enforcement sources.
Following months of surveillance, a Joint Terrorism Task Force, comprising several agencies, apprehended two additional persons, as disclosed by NBC.
Initial screenings did not raise red flags regarding the suspects’ status upon their border crossings. At least two men entered the U.S. in spring 2023, with one of them even scheduling an asylum appointment through the CBP App, as reported by Fox News.
According to The NY Post, a wiretapped individual was overheard discussing bombs, prompting ICE sources to raise concerns about a potential threat reminiscent of the 2013 terrorist attack in Boston.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force closely monitored the group for several months as part of an investigation into possible terrorism intentions, NBC revealed.
While the group members have not faced charges directly linked to terrorism plots, the FBI alerted ICE about potential ISIS affiliations, leading to their arrest for immigration violations.
A judge will determine whether this group will be deported from Canada, and potential terrorism-related charges may follow, as per reports.
In a joint statement, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and FBI mentioned that, in collaboration with ICE, several noncitizens were apprehended in line with immigration regulations.
The detained individuals are currently under ICE custody pending removal proceedings, the statement further clarified.
Back in April, ICE in Baltimore arrested a Uzbek man suspected of ISIS ties, who had been residing in the U.S., according to NBC.
FBI Director Chris Wray, while addressing a House Appropriations Subcommittee that month, expressed concerns about potential ISIS attacks being planned within the U.S., highlighting the increasing worry of a coordinated terrorist incident on U.S. soil.
He mentioned the tragic March bombings at Moscow’s Crocus City Hall, where 145 people lost their lives and hundreds were wounded, as a harrowing example of what could potentially occur.