
(Scypre.com) – In a significant operation, eight Tajikistan nationals with connections to the terrorist organization ISIS were arrested in a joint effort by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Joint Terrorism Task Force. These arrests took place across major cities in the United States, namely New York City, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia.
Interestingly, these individuals had entered the United States through the southern border without any legal permissions. It was alarming to note that during their initial processing, no red flags were raised by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This raises concerns about the effectiveness of the current immigration and security protocols.
However, after they were released into the United States, their connections to ISIS were flagged, leading to their arrests. These individuals were found to have been “fully vetted” and no issues were found initially. This indicates that there might be gaps in the immigration vetting process that terrorists could potentially exploit.
The operation that led to these arrests was first reported by Jennie Taer of the New York Post. Part of the investigation involved a wiretap, which revealed that one of the arrested individuals was discussing the use of bombs. The individual in question mentioned the tragic Boston Marathon bombing as a reference point, hinting at a potential similar attack.
In response to these arrests, a joint statement was released by the DHS and FBI. They confirmed that several non-citizens were arrested under immigration authorities and are currently detained in ICE custody, awaiting removal proceedings. The statement also emphasized that the U.S. is currently in a heightened threat environment and pledged to continue working to identify, investigate, and disrupt any potential threats to national security.
This operation comes at a time when the threat of terrorism in the United States is on the rise. FBI Director Christopher Wray recently told a Senate Appropriations subcommittee that there is an increasing concern of a potential coordinated attack in the U.S., similar to the Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) attack in Russia in March.
Wray emphasized that the threat from foreign terrorists has significantly increased since his tenure as FBI director began. He cited multiple terrorist attacks that the FBI had successfully disrupted, but warned that if the bureau’s budget is cut, it would not be able to fill nearly 1,000 positions, potentially compromising its ability to protect Americans from terrorism.
Wray further explained that this reduction in resources would lead to fewer tips and leads being followed, and fewer terrorist attacks being detected. He stressed that this would have “very significant” consequences, particularly in the context of the heightened threat environment.
When questioned about how the FBI prioritizes its resources, Wray pinpointed terrorism, both foreign and domestic, as the bureau’s number one priority. This underscores the gravity of the threat posed by groups like ISIS and the importance of vigilance and effective counter-terrorism measures.