The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other law enforcement agencies have launched a comprehensive investigation into a group of Uzbeks who recently crossed into the United States through the southern border and sought asylum.
Uzbek nationals aided by ISIS?
These individuals are believed to have been aided by a human trafficker associated with a U.S.-designated “foreign terrorist organization,” according to high-ranking federal officials who exclusively informed NBC News about the ongoing inquiry.
The intricate smuggling network, rooted in Turkey, facilitated the entry of the Uzbeks into the U.S. Notably, the individual responsible for orchestrating their passage maintained loose affiliations with the notorious Islamic State terrorist group, often referred to as ISIS.
Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the National Security Council, asserted, “However, there was no indication — and remains no indication — that any of the individuals facilitated by this network have a connection to a foreign terrorist organization or are engaged in plotting a terrorist attack in the United States.”
Sources indicate that the FBI’s primary focus is on locating approximately 15 out of the estimated 120 Uzbek migrants who entered the United States utilizing the Turkish smuggling network.
Threats from Uzbeks?
Officials from the Department of Homeland Security revealed that upon their entry into the U.S., the Uzbeks underwent standard screenings conducted by Customs and Border Protection agents. Notably, no information within government terrorism databases flagged any of them as potential threats.
However, following the receipt of intelligence data, the FBI launched a comprehensive review of the migrants’ backgrounds. In cooperation with Turkish law enforcement, the FBI’s efforts led to the arrest of the alleged human smuggler.
A senior law enforcement official disclosed that Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection have enacted new screening protocols at the border to assess any additional migrants linked to this network who might be attempting to cross.
In a broader context, authorities have alerted officials in countries acting as transit points and at airports to heighten their vigilance.
The Department of Homeland Security emphasized that the influx of individuals crossing the border from Mexico has not compromised the quality or rigor of screening procedures in place. As the investigation unfolds, the nation awaits further updates on this complex and evolving situation.
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