Two Jordanian nationals who attempted to enter a crucial military base are in the US illegally as fears of foreign espionage escalate.
The Jordanian nationals were arrested on May 3 after attempting to drive a box truck into Quantico Naval Base. During their attempted entry, the two individuals claimed to be working as a subcontractor for Amazon.
Despite their goal to infiltrate the installation, military officials were able to set up vehicle barriers and thwart the efforts of the Middle Eastern nationals.
Now a Fox News report indicates that one of the individuals illegally entered the U.S. through California in April and the other overstayed his student visa.
The new details about the Jordanians attempting to unlawfully enter Quantico – one of the largest naval bases in the US – come just a week after Congress held a secret hearing into efforts by foreigners to infiltrate and surveil US military installations hold.
The two Jordanian nationals attempted to enter Quantico Naval Base on May 3
Both individuals are now in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), multiple Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials said in the report.
The Jordanian who entered the US illegally in April did so through the San Diego, California, sector, which has seen a dramatic increase in illegal immigration this year.
According to the DHS sources, the apprehended man was issued a notice to appear – a legal process that required him to appear for an immigration court hearing at a future date.
The pair are now being prepared for removal proceedings, the sources announced.
An Amazon spokesperson told the outlet that it appears the Jordanians in question did not make deliveries on behalf of the company and that they will investigate the incident further.
Recently, migrants from Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, India, Bangladesh and China crossed through gaps in the US-Mexico border in Jacumba Hot Springs, California. It is likely that the Jordanian national entered through a similar path
The crossing, in the San Diego sector, has been popular in recent months and has become the new ground zero for migrants seeking to enter the US illegally
Quantico, where the Jordanians hoped to enter, is one of the largest and most secure Marine Corps facilities in the US.
Lawmakers and government officials are also investigating the matter.
Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee sent a letter to DHS, the Pentagon and the FBI requesting additional information about the incident.
Republican lawmakers said one of the Jordanians was on a federal terrorist watch list.
“The committee is concerned that the Department of Homeland Security’s relaxed vetting standards, which complement President Biden’s stated desire to ‘cross the border’ with unauthorized migrants, have created an environment ripe for exploitation by individuals who want to undermine the United States at the most critical points. .’
“If individuals on the Terrorist Watch List are so emboldened to attempt to breach a Marine Corps base, the Department of Homeland Security and the entire Executive Branch must act quickly to identify, arrest, and detain such hostile actors on U.S. soil.” hold,” the Republicans write. declared.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin also expressed his displeasure in a letter to Biden.
“The attempted break-in at Quantico, and the federal government’s silence on the immigration status of the individuals involved, reiterates the severity of your failure to secure the southern border and to notify state governments of illegal migrant movements so that I can protesting for the safety of all Virginians.”
The Virginian demanded that Biden inform state officials about the attempted burglary.
“Please explain how they came to the United States. Were they here illegally? Are any of them on a terrorist list?’ Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., asked DHS Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas in a recent letter.
Earlier, a top Republican told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview that foreigners from a wide range of countries have attempted to infiltrate US military bases.
China, Iran, Russia and Middle Eastern terrorist groups are involved in attempts to gain access to US instillations. Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wis., said.
A Chinese national broke into the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms in California in March before being arrested
A group of Chinese nationals were stopped while diving near missiles in Cape Canaveral in 2023, pictured here
“There have been reports that outside our military bases… foreigners here have been taking pictures and recording what is going on.”
He also claimed that several foreigners “might get a job at DoorDash or something and then poke around to see what they can find out” at U.S. military bases.
Reports further indicate that foreigners have used drones to enhance their surveillance efforts.
And Grothman warned that these attempts have increased significantly in recent years.
“It’s not something that we think happened on a very large scale a few years ago,” he said. “So this new stuff.”
The Wisconsin Republican said the increase in spying attempts comes as record numbers of non-Hispanic foreigners cross the U.S.-Mexico border into the U.S. heartland.
And the details now revealing that the Jordanians are in the U.S. illegally will surely add to Grothman and his fellow lawmakers’ suspicions.