Twice in the past two months, men who were on the FBI's Terror Watch list were busted by the Border Patrol illegally entering the United States in the El Centro sector, officials said Monday.
The Border Patrol said the men who were arrested were both from Yemen. The first incident occurred on Jan. 29, when a 33-year-old man was caught about three miles west of the Calexico Port of Entry, and the latest was March 30, about a mile away from where the first man was caught, according to officials. The man found in March was 26, the Border Patrol said in a news release issued on Monday.
"Part of the Border Patrol’s mission states we will protect the country from terrorists,"Chief Border Patrol Agent Gregory K. Bovino said in the news release. "Today, like every other day, our agents did that. These apprehensions at our border illustrate the importance of our mission and how we can never stop being vigilant in our everyday mission to protect this great country."
Both men were taken to the El Centro Processing Center for immigration and criminal history screening. Investigators there said they determined the men were both from Yemen and on the no-fly list.
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Authorities said the first man who was caught had a cell-phone SIM card inside his shoe. No other details were offered regarding the SIM card.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement have taken custody of the first man arrested in January, according to the Border Patrol. The other man is being held in federal custody pending removal, officials said.
