Two Yemeni men on the FBI’s terrorism watch list have been arrested in recent months for entering the U.S. illegally from Mexico, federal authorities said Monday.
The men, aged 33 and 26, were arrested near the port of entry in Calexico, California, in separate incidents on January 29 and March 30, respectively, according to Customs and Border Protection.
The old man was found with a cell phone SIM card located under the shoe insole, CBD said.
Checks on records conducted after the capture of both men revealed they were on a government watch list for terrorism suspects and on a “do not fly,” list, authorities said.
The CBD did not publish the identities of the men.
The terror watch list includes people who “are known to be reasonably suspected of engaging in terrorist activities,” according to the FBI.
News of the arrests comes as the number of migrants heading to the U.S.-Mexico border has increased since President Joe Biden took office, posing a challenge to his administration as he works to accommodate unaccompanied minors arriving in large numbers.
And last month, Republican lawmakers crossing the southern border had said, citing Customs and Border Protection agents, that some suspected terrorists had headed for the crossing.
With publishing cables