FBI arrests 8 Russians with ISIS connections, placed in ICE custody

Russian nationals suspected to have ties with ISIS have been arrested in a coordinated sting operation in New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles, as reported by the New York Post, citing ICE sources.

A total of eight individuals from Tajikistan with alleged connections to the Islamic State group have been detained in the United States recently, according to sources familiar with the situation.

One of them was caught discussing bombs on tape, according to sources cited by the Post.

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

It was reported by the Post that one of those arrested had been released by federal authorities at the southern border last year.

The exact nature of their suspected links to ISIS was not immediately clear, but these individuals were being monitored by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). They are now in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and are facing removal proceedings from the country.

The individuals from Tajikistan entered the country in the spring and went through the U.S. government’s screening process without raising red flags related to terrorism concerns, according to sources.

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security confirmed the immigration-related arrests of “several non-citizens,” but did not provide specific details, mentioning a “heightened threat environment” in the U.S.

FBI Director Christopher Wray has raised concerns about increasing threats from both homegrown violent extremists and foreign terrorist organizations, especially following the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7.

Officials are particularly worried about potential vulnerabilities at the border that could be exploited for terrorism, as highlighted by the Biden administration’s detection and prevention of a network attempting to smuggle people from Uzbekistan into the U.S.

The FBI and DHS are committed to working with partners to identify, investigate, and disrupt potential threats to national security, according to their joint statement.

Recent reports suggest that the FBI is investigating whether migrants from Uzbekistan crossed the southern border with the help of a Turkish smuggler.

In federal data from 2021 to 2024, 362 migrants with terror ties were apprehended at the southern border.

Instances like Mohammad Kharwin illegally entering the U.S. from the southern border and being released, only to be rearrested after being identified as a member of Hezb-e-Islami, highlight the challenges faced by law enforcement agencies.

A Somali national and member of al Shabaab was also allowed entry into the country before being rearrested by ICE.

A Border Patrol agent expressed concerns to the Post about the situation worsening and ICE possibly having a list of people to target.

Information from The Associated Press was included in this report.