U.S. Border Patrol (USPB) Director Jason Owens confirmed on social media on Tuesday that the agency had arrested a South African national in Brooklyn, New York, on “terrorism charges.”
in post Owens told X that USPB officers arrested an unidentified South African national. Owens also posted a photo of the male suspect. The undocumented immigrant was initially detained in Texas on trespassing charges, but was released due to “information available at the time,” the USBP chief said. (Related: Major Justice Department indictment proves critics of giving ID to illegal immigrants right: ‘They lowered the bar’)
“Further investigation subsequently revealed a positive match on the terrorist watch list, prompting swift action by USBP and National Targeting Center personnel. Thanks to multi-agency collaboration, this potential The threat was located, taken into custody, and is currently pending removal,” Owens wrote.
Breaking news 🚨
A multi-agency effort led to the arrest of a South African terrorist suspect in Brooklyn, New York. The individual was initially detained in Texas on a trespassing charge, but was released based on information obtained at the time. To be continued… pic.twitter.com/QFMfGCUN14— Chief Jason Owens (@USBPChief) December 17, 2024
At least 99 people on the U.S. terror watch list are estimated to have illegally crossed the U.S. southern border into the country under the Biden-Harris administration in August, according to a congressional report. According to the report, from fiscal years 2021 to 2023, USBP officers encountered more than 250 illegal immigrants on the terrorist watch list at the southern border, but the Department of Homeland Security has since released nearly 100 of them into the country. That’s what it means.
Concerns about illegal immigrants crossing into the U.S. across the southern border began to surface last year as the Biden-Harris administration saw a record number of encounters with migrants crossing the border. The House Judiciary Committee confirmed that USBP officers had encountered foreign nationals on terrorist watch lists from 36 countries.
Authorities have not yet released further information about the South African national.
The Border Patrol did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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