During a coordinated effort over the weekend, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) apprehended eight men from Tajikistan in Philadelphia, New York, and Los Angeles, who are believed to have potential affiliations with ISIS. This information was confirmed by sources affiliated with NBC News on Tuesday. Tajikistan, located in Central Asia, shares borders with Afghanistan, China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan.

The arrested individuals had previously drawn the attention of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force due to concerns regarding their possible connections to ISIS. A joint statement issued by the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI confirmed that ICE agents conducted these arrests in alignment with immigration authorities over recent days. According to the statement, “The actions were carried out in close coordination with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Forces. The individuals arrested are detained in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.”

Reports suggest that the eight men entered the United States through the southern border, and initial background checks against their criminal histories yielded no results at the time. Notably, at least two of these individuals crossed the border during the spring of 2023, while one utilized the CBP One app, which was developed by the Biden administration to facilitate asylum claims by scheduling appointments for migrants.

Sources informed NBC News that the FBI emerged aware of a potential terrorism threat stemming from central Europe and initiated surveillance on the eight individuals as part of a broader investigation. The FBI closely monitored their activities over several months, indicating a proactive stance regarding national security concerns.

Although none of the men currently face terrorism-related charges, the FBI recommended their arrests to ICE based on their suspected links to ISIS. As of now, these men are being held on immigration charges and are undergoing removal proceedings before an immigration judge. There remains the possibility of future terrorism-related indictments against them, as stated by sources.

Furthermore, the same intelligence that prompted the surveillance and subsequent arrests of the eight Tajik men has also led to the apprehension of an Uzbek man in Baltimore on related charges linked to ISIS.

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