“Fully vetted” no longer means what we think it does. Our non-existent border gets to be more of a national security threat every day. Yesterday the news broke that eight suspected terrorists, here illegally were arrested in three cities across the United States.

The New York Post broke the news late yesterday afternoon. 

Six Russian nationals suspected to have terror ties to ISIS have been arrested in a coordinated sting operation spanning Los Angeles, New York and Philadelphia, The Post can exclusively reveal.

Two ICE sources confirmed to The Post they arrested the six people, who hail from Tajikistan, over the last week after the FBI contacted the agency to warn it.

Two others who were part of the same group were also arrested after being under surveillance for “several months” by a multi-agency Joint Terrorism Task Force, according to NBC.

Part of the investigation featured a wiretap which revealed one of the now-arrested individuals was talking about bombs, the sources said.

Now, I don’t know about you, but this makes me very very nervous. Especially given the fact that DHS is claiming they were all “fully vetted.” Here’s a question, how can their background be confirmed as reliable when they come from Tajikistan, a country that does NOT cooperate with the U.S. regarding whether their citizens are law-abiding or not? 

Once Jennie Taer broke the news at the NY Post, Bill Melugin went digging. Rather than six suspected terrorists with ISIS ties, it is EIGHT who were arrested in the sting operation. 

BREAKING: Per federal source familiar, ICE, in conjunction w/ the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, arrested 8 Tajikistan nationals w/ suspected ISIS ties in NYC, LA, and Philly in recent days. I’m told all 8 crossed the southern border illegally, received “full vetting”, and had no initial derogatory information that flagged. I’m told derogatory info/potential national security concerns flagged later on – apparently after release into the US. Source was unable to say when and where they crossed illegally into the US.
All are now in ICE custody pending removal proceedings and an active federal investigation.
This was initially scooped by @JennieSTaer& New York Post, who report at least one of the individuals was caught on a FBI wiretap talking about bombs.

DHS and the FBI tried to do a victory lap in claiming all involved worked amazingly well together and nabbed these guys before they could do something like… set off a bomb, Boston Marathon style. 

“Remember the Boston marathon [bombing]? I’m afraid something like that might happen again or worse,” one of the sources told The Post.

Millions of people have poured through our non-existent borders due to Joe Biden’s policies. Our border patrol is overwhelmed and stressed to the max. It’s really not a surprise that we have eight suspected terrorists come through our border and fan out to major cities across the U.S. and start planning something. Those three cities have had some issues with protests these last weeks. I shudder to think what would’ve happened if these suspects had attempted something. 

What is infuriating is that the DHS is claiming those suspects were fully vetted thus implying a decent background check was conducted, when it WASN’T. 

These arrests speak to a larger more concerning issue regarding how the DHS and FBI are operating. Tajikistan is a well-known haven and training ground for ISIS-K terrorists. Furthermore, several of the terrorists involved in the Moscow concert hall attacks were from that country. 

From a national security and counter-terrorism point of view, every red flag should be lit up and waving madly. 

The arrests were made after “one of the now arrested individuals was talking about bombs” on an FBI wiretap. This person “was previously released by federal authorities at the southern border with a court date next year, however it has since emerged he has potential ties to ISIS.”

Think about how worrisome that is from a counterterrorism point of view: The man was detained, released inside the U.S., then later found to have possible ISIS ties. Then, only after the FBI obtained a warrant to surveil him based on those suspected ties, was he found to be talking about explosives. It’s deeply disturbing that he and the other five arrested were able to act with such liberty until now. After all, if they were able to do so, how many others remain able to do so? How many others were never detained at the border?

I’m sure Mayorkas and FBI Director Christopher Wray (who warned last year there would be issues) will claim they have no answers for those questions. 

What is infuriating is the claim that these suspects were initially “fully vetted.”

My thoughts tonight regarding the news today that 8 nationals of Tajikistan w/ suspected ISIS ties were arrested after crossing the southern border illegally & initially had no derogatory info flag during vetting.
For years, my border contacts have told me vetting is inadequate. pic.twitter.com/vB3EPZitzx

— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) June 12, 2024

Given the arrests and statements since, it’s obvious that the vetting was cursory at best, zero to none at its worst. Especially given that illegal immigration flood continues at a hectic pace.

https://twitter.com/JennieSTaer/status/1800667033287139775

Furthermore, usually illegals coming across the border stay in groups. These suspects, after entering over a year ago, fanned out across the country to multiple cities. That’s …a very bad sign. 

These arrests highlight a very dangerous national security problem. And the responsibility for this problem rests solely upon the shoulders of those running the Biden Administration. 

Feature Photo Credit: ICE processing center in California, via iStock, cropped and modified