Eight suspects with alleged ties to ISIS arrested in New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles

Eight suspected terrorists from Tajikistan have been arrested in major cities across the country, including New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles, over their alleged links to ISIS, according to reports.

The group of suspects was taken into custody for several days as part of a joint operation between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, according to reports. They are all believed to have entered the United States through the southern border in 2023, with sources telling NBC Philadelphia that none of their background checks resulted in any reason to block their entry at the border. 'era.

Authorities began monitoring the eight suspects after the FBI became aware of a potential terrorist threat from Central Europe. The agencies tracked the suspects' activities for a month before the arrests, sources said.

“ICE agents arrested several non-citizens in accordance with immigration authorities. The actions were carried out in close coordination with the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Forces,” according to a statement released by the FBI and ICE, per Fox 29.

“As the FBI and DHS have recently described in public and partner bulletins, the United States finds itself in a heightened threat environment,” the statement continued. “The FBI and DHS will continue to work around the clock with our partners to identify, investigate and thwart potential threats to national security. »

News of the arrests comes just days after FBI Director Christopher Wray warned of terrorist threats from foreign and domestic actors, particularly in the months following Israel's invasion of Israel. Hamas on October 7, 2023.

“Our most immediate concern has been that individuals or small groups may be inspired by events in the Middle East to carry out attacks here at home,” Wray said at a recent congressional appropriations hearing.

So far, the suspects only face immigration charges, sources told NBC News, adding that they have not yet faced any terrorism-related charges.