Federal law enforcement officials arrested an illegal alien terror suspect from Africa late last month after he was apprehended and released into the U.S. after being caught unlawfully entering the country.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in New York City arrested the 29-year-old illegal alien on October 10, just seven days after he “unlawfully” entered the U.S. near Lukeville, Arizona — more than 2,000 miles away.
“Officials processed him and served him a notice to appear as a noncitizen present without admission or parole,” ICE said in a statement. “The noncitizen was released on his own recognizance and provided with documentation to report to ERO New York City.”
ICE was not even sure where the suspect was from, referring to him in their statement as an “unlawfully present Mauritanian or Senegalese citizen.”
The suspect, who was not named, was wanted by Senegalese authorities for criminal conspiracy in relation to a terrorist organization; destruction, degradation and damages in relation to a terrorist organization; acts or preparatory acts aimed at compromising public safety or causing serious political troubles; direct provocation of an armed crowd; and holding arms without prior administrative authorization, according to the press release.
“Noncitizens who are engaged in or suspected of supporting terrorism are a direct threat to our country’s national security and will be expeditiously removed from the United States,” said ERO New York City Field Office Director Kenneth Genalo. “ERO New York City will use every tool at our disposal to keep American citizens and residents safe from those who erroneously believe they can exploit our immigration laws to escape justice in other countries. We remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure individuals who commit unspeakable acts of violence are held accountable.”
The terrorist suspect will remain in U.S. custody without bond until he is deported, officials said.
A Border Patrol source explained to Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin how a situation like this unfolds.
“If BP checks come up negative then they assume he’s clear, if derogatory info is developed through another source like an attaché or biometrics info, that shows up later, then it gets loaded into a shared database,” the source said. “BP doesn’t have the luxury of sitting on these folks for weeks.”
I asked a trusted Border Patrol source how something like this can happen?
Reaponse: “If BP checks come up negative then they assume he’s clear, if derogatory info is developed through another source like an attaché or biometrics info, that shows up later, then it gets loaded…
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) November 3, 2023
The news comes after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) revealed late last month that for the month of September, there were 269,735 illegal alien encounters — the highest single-month total ever recorded.
September’s numbers close out Fiscal Year 2023 with a total of 2,475,669 illegal alien encounters. President Joe Biden’s illegal immigration crisis on the southern border has worsened every year that he has been in office, with Fiscal Year 2022 having 2,378,944 encounters and Fiscal Year 2021 having 1,734,686 encounters.
The 2,475,669 illegal alien encounters for Fiscal Year 2023 is the highest level recorded in U.S. history.
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Additionally, 169 illegal aliens on the terrorist watchlist were arrested in Fiscal Year 2023, bringing the total number arrested under Biden to 282.
During the Biden era, federal agents have also encountered 72,823 “special interest aliens” attempting to enter the country illegally. “Special interest aliens” are illegal aliens that come from countries that are considered breeding grounds for terrorism.