Officials with the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have apprehended the fourth Iranian considered a "special interest alien" this month.
Sources with the agency said that the man involved in the latest apprehension was in his 40s. He was taken into official custody on Sunday morning in Eagle Pass, Texas, after crossing the southern border at roughly 3:00 a.m.
Apprehension of Special Interest Aliens
It was noted that the Iranian individual gave himself up to border protection agents after he made the illegal crossing at the border. The individual in question and three others are considered special interest aliens because they come from countries the US government identifies as having conditions promoting or protecting terrorism.
These could also be people from regions that pose a national security threat to the United States. As per Fox News, the individuals who fall into this categorization must undergo additional vetting and questioning after being taken into custody by border protection agents.
CBP agents also apprehended two Lebanese nationals in Eagle Pass last week and they were also considered to be "special interest aliens." The agency took an Egyptian man in his 40s into custody. On the other hand, in the Rio Grande Valley Sector, officials were able to apprehend 19 Iranians and 17 Syrians since Monday.
The series of incidents come amid concerns about security and the potential of terrorism after Hamas militant forces attacked Israel on Oct. 7, resulting in the death of more than 1,300 Israelis and wounding several thousands of others.
The situation comes as Lebanon borders with Israel and is known to be home to the terror group Hezbollah, which, similarly to Hamas, is designated a terror group by the State Department and is also funded by Iran.
Southern Border Migrant Issue
According to Yahoo News, the Iranian special interest aliens were taken into custody as thousands of such individuals, coming from different countries, have been arrested by border protection agents over the last two years while trying to illegally cross the southern US border.
Multiple CBP sources confirmed the number of apprehended special interest aliens and reflected arrests made between ports of entry between October 2021 and October 2023. Data showed that agents encountered 6,386 nationals from Afghanistan, 3,153 from Egypt, 659 from Iran, and 538 from Syria.
Additionally, officials encountered 12,624 individuals from Uzbekistan, 30,830 from Turkey, 1,613 from Pakistan, 164 from Lebanon, 185 from Jordan, 123 from Iraq, and 15,594 from Mauritania. However, the data does not include information on how many of these migrants were removed or who were released into the US.
The massive number of special interest aliens coming into the US is a conundrum for authorities as nations that are home to violent terrorist movements are also those that have a population that is desperate to flee to safety by taking refuge in other countries, such as the United States, said the Daily Mail.
