The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has identified over 400 illegal aliens brought into the U.S. by a human smuggling network with ties to ISIS, according to three U.S. officials who spoke to NBC News [1]. While more than 150 of these individuals have been apprehended, the whereabouts of over 50 remain unknown.
A senior Biden administration official explained to NBC, “In this case, it was the information that suggested a potential tie to ISIS because of some of the individuals involved in [smuggling migrants to the border] that led us to want to take extra care, and out of an abundance of caution make sure that we exercised our authority in the most expansive and appropriate way to mitigate risk because of this potential connection being made.”
Many of the illegal aliens crossed the southern border and were released into the U.S. by Customs and Border Protection, as they were not on the government’s terrorism watchlist and did not raise concerns at the time. However, recent terrorist attacks in Russia have heightened concerns about ISIS and its offshoot, ISIS-K.
Some of the 150 individuals arrested have already been deported, officials noted. The whereabouts of other illegal aliens in 17 states are known, and they may be arrested soon. It is possible that some may have already left the U.S. voluntarily.