A 29-year-old man of Senegalese or Mauritanian origin was arrested on October 17 by the Enforcement and Removal Operations’ (ERO) New York City branch. He crossed the border near Lukeville, Arizona on October 3rd and was encountered by Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) before b being “released on his own recognizance.”
The man is wanted in Senegal for “terroristic actives.” The Center Square reports the man was told to go to ERO in New York. According to a news release from United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the man was arrested and will continue to remain behind bars until next steps are determined.
The release noted that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) alerted the agency about his ties to terrorism in West Africa.
“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,” ERO New York City Field Office Director Kenneth Genalo said in a statement on Oct. 19.
“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,” Genalo continued.
The United States has been encountering hundreds of individuals who are on the terror watchlist. As of September, 160 migrants on the FBI’s list had been encountered by border authorities in fiscal year 2023, NBC News reported. The Center Square reported in October that some experts are concerned about Hamas-connected terrorists making their way into the nation’s interior by coming through the southern border.
The Foreign Desk reports that 736 known or suspected terrorists (KST’s) hav been apprehended at the U.S border in fiscal 2023 alone; a whopping 66% of them were caught entering the northern border.
