U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested five Iranian nationals attempting to cross illegally from Canada near Mooers Forks, New York. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed the arrest Tuesday, noting that the individuals had been previously caught attempting illegal entry.
“On July 1, Border Patrol Agents from the Champlain, New York Station, responded to suspicious activity near Mooers Forks, NY,” the agency stated. Agents intercepted a minivan carrying five Iranians and two Uzbeks. All seven were already on CBP’s radar and are now “detained and pending removal proceedings.”
“Border security is national security and directly correlates to public safety,” CBP added. The arrest happened in the Swanton Sector, a rural but high-risk area near Vermont’s border with Canada that has seen increased illegal crossings in recent years.
Counterterrorism experts are sounding the alarm. They specifically highlight the danger of foreign terror sleeper cells being established on US soil. “Where these sleeper cells may be is in plain sight,” former FBI special agent Jonathan Gilliam warned. “That’s the real terrifying part.”
With Iranian nationals linked to terrorist plots in New York, London, and across Europe, the arrests near Mooers Forks raise serious questions. Are we catching all of them—or only the ones who want to be seen?
