NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested at least six people in New York City, Philadelphia and Los Angeles that have suspected ties to ISIS and hail from Tajikistan, formerly part of the Soviet Union, according to reports.
"Over the last few days, ICE agents arrested several non-citizens pursuant to immigration authorities," ICE told 1010 WINS/WCBS 880 in a statement, without elaborating on the number arrested or their nationalities. "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."
According to the New York Post, six suspects were arrested, while CBS News reported eight were arrested. Both the Post and CBS News reported that the suspects are from Tajikistan.
The suspects were arrested after the FBI warned ICE, the New York Post reported.
The arrested individuals allegedly came into the U.S. after crossing the Mexican border in the past two years, according to the report.
The operation took place with the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Forces, according to ICE.
“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,” the CBS News report said.
All the suspects had undergone a thorough screening and vetting process, but no negative information was discovered when they initially crossed the U.S. border.
ICE added in its statement to 1010 WINS/WCBS 880, "As the FBI and DHS have recently described in public and partner bulletins, the U.S. has been in a heightened threat environment. The FBI and DHS will continue working around the clock with our partners to identify, investigate, and disrupt potential threats to national security.”