Authorities in the United States have apprehended eight individuals from Tajikistan, raising concerns over potential ties to the Islamic State group, the Times of Central Asia reported.
The men entered the country through the southern border with Mexico, evading security scrutiny, and were subsequently detained over the past weekend in New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles.
Sources familiar with the investigation, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed that the arrests were made by agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following alerts from the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Forces.
While the exact nature of their suspected involvement with the terror group remains undisclosed, authorities are actively pursuing deportation proceedings against the suspects, citing insufficient evidence to levy terrorism charges at this stage.
The report highlighted the usage of the CBP One app, a creation of the Biden administration aimed at streamlining asylum claim processes, by at least one of the detained individuals who crossed the border in the spring of 2023. This revelation underscores the challenges faced by immigration authorities in monitoring potential security threats amidst the influx of migrants.
This incident comes against the backdrop of heightened vigilance regarding terror threats originating from Central Europe. The FBI's ongoing surveillance of individuals associated with such threats indicates the complexity and persistence of the issue.
This is not the first instance of individuals from Central Asia coming under suspicion for ties to extremist groups. Earlier this year, ICE agents apprehended an Uzbek man, Jovokhir Attoev, on similar grounds after he had resided in the U.S. for over two years. Attoev, who crossed the southern border in 2022, was initially released but subsequently detained following Uzbekistan's issuance of a notice implicating him in alleged links to the Islamic State.
The broader implications of these arrests underscore the transnational reach of extremist ideologies and the challenges faced by law enforcement agencies in mitigating potential threats. As investigations unfold, authorities are expected to continue their efforts to safeguard national security interests while upholding due process in handling the detained individuals.
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