The United States has apprehended eight people from Tajikistan believed to have connections to the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group. A source revealed that the Tajik nationals entered the US through its southern border last year and were later arrested in New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. Initially, the suspects were allowed to enter the US after being vetted, with no national security issues uncovered. Their potential links to Daesh were not immediately known, but they were under surveillance by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). The individuals were in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, awaiting deportation proceedings.
The FBI and Department of Homeland Security confirmed the arrests, citing an increased level of threat. FBI Director Christopher Wray emphasized the growing dangers from domestic violent extremists and foreign terrorist groups. The FBI and DHS reiterated their commitment to identifying, investigating, and disrupting potential threats to national security. Experts believe the US played a role in the rise of Daesh, which began its reign of terror in Syria and Iraq in 2014. In 2016, former president Donald Trump claimed that ex-president Barack Obama and Democratic rival Hillary Clinton founded Daesh.
