The FBI is investigating a human smuggling network with ISIS ties that helped migrants, including a group from Uzbekistan, enter the U.S., according to CNN. No evidence of a terrorist plot has been found.
According to a recent report by CNN, the FBI is investigating a human smuggling network that helped migrants, including a group from Uzbekistan, enter the United States.
At least one person associated with the network has connections to ISIS. This information came to light after the migrants had already been screened by the Department of Homeland Security and released into the U.S. pending a court date, CNN reported.
The migrants from Uzbekistan had requested asylum earlier this year and were initially screened by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). "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," National Security Council spokesman Adrienne Watson said in a statement to CNN.
New intelligence emerged about the human smuggling network, and Homeland Security officials have started detaining, vetting and, in some cases, expediting the removal of other migrants at the southern border who "fit the profile associated with individuals who were facilitated by this network," Watson told CNN.
The individual with ISIS connections within the smuggling network is not believed to be an official member of the terrorist group. According to U.S. officials cited by CNN, he is more akin to an independent contractor who has personal sympathies with ISIS. Intelligence agencies believe it is unlikely that he was facilitating the migration on behalf of ISIS, and most individuals are believed to be seeking a better life in the United States.
“We continually assess our security architecture to ensure that we are best poised to respond to threats to the homeland,” Watson added in her statement. “Moreover, we will continue to constantly recalibrate our screening, vetting and processing of those encountered entering the United States to ensure that we are taking into account the most up-to-date information at our disposal and with an unyielding commitment to protecting Americans and the homeland from the full range of potential threats.”
The FBI also released a statement to CNN, saying in part, “While the FBI has not identified a specific terrorism plot associated with foreign nationals who recently entered the United States at the southern border, we always work with our field offices across the country, as well as our domestic and international partners, to identify any potential illegal activity or terrorism threats.”
