Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have rounded up eight individuals from Tajikistan who are in the U.S. and have suspected ties to ISIS, U.S. officials told CBS News.
The arrests took place in the New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles areas, and the individuals are alleged to have arrived in the U.S. after crossing the Mexican border in 2023 and this year.
This large Department of Homeland Security operation was carried out in close coordination with the Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTF), according to two sources familiar with the operation. There is no active plot, but derogatory information about the individuals surfaced after they crossed into the U.S. and came to the attention of law enforcement.
All of the men underwent an intense screening and vetting process, but no derogatory information was found when they first crossed the U.S. border. The New York Post first reported the arrests.
In April, FBI Director Christopher Wray warned that human smuggling operations at the southern border were bringing in people who could have possible connections to terror groups.
This is a developing story and will be updated