NORMANDY, TX - Authorities with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) said that on Friday, September 20th, state troopers encountered 36 illegal immigrants near the southern border, including a group from Turkey who told the troopers that each of them paid $12,000 to cross the U.S. southern border illegally in an effort to meet a "sponsor" up in New Jersey.
According to Fox News, the troopers said that they found the large group in the border town Normandy. A total of 15 immigrants trying to illegally cross the southern border from countries including Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and South Africa, were arrested on suspicion of criminal trespass.
Among the group were "special interest" illegal immigrants from Turkey, Pakistan, India, and Vietnam. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Special interest immigrants are non-U.S. citizens who potentially pose a national security risk to the U.S. or its interests based on their travel patterns. On their website, DHS says that the designation does not mean the people are "terrorists," but that their "travel and behavior indicates a possible link to nefarious activity, including terrorism that requires further screening and investigation."
DHS states that there is a difference between "special interest" immigrants or aliens (SIAs) and a "known or suspected terrorist" (KST). DHS states, "A 'known terrorist' is an individual who has been (a) arrested, charged by information, indicted for, or convicted of a crime related to terrorism and/or terrorist activity by U.S. government or foreign government authorities; or (b) identified as a terrorist or a member of a terrorist organization pursuant to statute, executive order, or international legal obligation pursuant to a United Nations Security Council Resolution."
A "suspected terrorist" is "an individual who is reasonably suspected to be engaging in, has engaged in, or intends to engage in conduct constituting, in preparation for, in aid of, or related to terrorism and/or terrorist activities."
After the encounter of the 36 illegal immigrants, DPS Lt. Chris Olivarez wrote on X, "In the last 48 hours, DPS Troopers have come across eight special interest immigrants from five different countries in the rural Normandy area." Of the 36 illegal immigrants caught on Friday, 21 were handed off to U.S. Border Patrol.
In the group of Turkish illegal immigrants, one 26-year-old man interviewed by authorities said that he found a "network" on Telegram and Instagram to help him cross illegally into the United States. He told investigators that the group had a sponsor in New Jersey. According to reports, he said they "found a network in Istanbul and some people took us first to Kuwait."
When asked by the trooper what they were doing in a remote area at the border, the illegal immigrant said they were "looking for police to take us." The trooper asked, "But do you have family, friends, anybody?" He said, "we have sponsors." When asked how they found the sponsors, he said through the network in Istanbul. When asked what a sponsor means, he said, "that means they are going to take care of our expenses and everything."
Texas DPS said that they use "every tool and resource" available to them, working with local, county, and federal law enforcement partners to screen SIAs properly and to provide "transparency to the American public" about who is illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. In 2016, during the Obama administration, DHS Secretary Jae Johnson ordered DHS to create a "multi-DHS Component SIA Joint Action Group" to drive efforts to "counter the threats posed by the smuggling of SIAs."
Then, in 2019, the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security released a report outlining the threat posed by SIAs and "unknown and other potentially dangerous individuals, traveling to the United States using illicit pathways." As of recent, retired San Diego Border Patrol Chief Patrol Agent Aaron Heitke testified before Congress about how he said the Biden administration instructed him to not publicize arrests of SIAs.
During that he said, "We had an exponential increase in significant interest aliens ... with significant ties to terrorism" illegally entering the U.S. Customs and Border Protection San Diego Sector. He added, "At the time, I was told I could not release any information on this increase in SIAs or mention any of the arrests. The administration was trying to convince the public that there was no threat at the border."
According to Fox News, the troopers said that they found the large group in the border town Normandy. A total of 15 immigrants trying to illegally cross the southern border from countries including Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and South Africa, were arrested on suspicion of criminal trespass.
Among the group were "special interest" illegal immigrants from Turkey, Pakistan, India, and Vietnam. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Special interest immigrants are non-U.S. citizens who potentially pose a national security risk to the U.S. or its interests based on their travel patterns. On their website, DHS says that the designation does not mean the people are "terrorists," but that their "travel and behavior indicates a possible link to nefarious activity, including terrorism that requires further screening and investigation."
DHS states that there is a difference between "special interest" immigrants or aliens (SIAs) and a "known or suspected terrorist" (KST). DHS states, "A 'known terrorist' is an individual who has been (a) arrested, charged by information, indicted for, or convicted of a crime related to terrorism and/or terrorist activity by U.S. government or foreign government authorities; or (b) identified as a terrorist or a member of a terrorist organization pursuant to statute, executive order, or international legal obligation pursuant to a United Nations Security Council Resolution."
A "suspected terrorist" is "an individual who is reasonably suspected to be engaging in, has engaged in, or intends to engage in conduct constituting, in preparation for, in aid of, or related to terrorism and/or terrorist activities."
After the encounter of the 36 illegal immigrants, DPS Lt. Chris Olivarez wrote on X, "In the last 48 hours, DPS Troopers have come across eight special interest immigrants from five different countries in the rural Normandy area." Of the 36 illegal immigrants caught on Friday, 21 were handed off to U.S. Border Patrol.
In the group of Turkish illegal immigrants, one 26-year-old man interviewed by authorities said that he found a "network" on Telegram and Instagram to help him cross illegally into the United States. He told investigators that the group had a sponsor in New Jersey. According to reports, he said they "found a network in Istanbul and some people took us first to Kuwait."
When asked by the trooper what they were doing in a remote area at the border, the illegal immigrant said they were "looking for police to take us." The trooper asked, "But do you have family, friends, anybody?" He said, "we have sponsors." When asked how they found the sponsors, he said through the network in Istanbul. When asked what a sponsor means, he said, "that means they are going to take care of our expenses and everything."
Texas DPS said that they use "every tool and resource" available to them, working with local, county, and federal law enforcement partners to screen SIAs properly and to provide "transparency to the American public" about who is illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. In 2016, during the Obama administration, DHS Secretary Jae Johnson ordered DHS to create a "multi-DHS Component SIA Joint Action Group" to drive efforts to "counter the threats posed by the smuggling of SIAs."
Then, in 2019, the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security released a report outlining the threat posed by SIAs and "unknown and other potentially dangerous individuals, traveling to the United States using illicit pathways." As of recent, retired San Diego Border Patrol Chief Patrol Agent Aaron Heitke testified before Congress about how he said the Biden administration instructed him to not publicize arrests of SIAs.
During that he said, "We had an exponential increase in significant interest aliens ... with significant ties to terrorism" illegally entering the U.S. Customs and Border Protection San Diego Sector. He added, "At the time, I was told I could not release any information on this increase in SIAs or mention any of the arrests. The administration was trying to convince the public that there was no threat at the border."
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