Two Jordanian nationals who attempted to enter a crucial military base are in the United States illegally, as fears about foreign espionage intensify.
The Jordanian nationals were arrested after attempting to drive a box truck onto Marine Corps Base Quantico on May 3. During their entry attempt, both individuals claimed to work for Amazon as subcontractors.
Despite their goal of infiltrating the installation, military officials managed to deploy vehicle barriers and thwart the efforts of Middle Eastern nationals.
Now, a report from Fox News indicates that one of the individuals entered the United States illegally through California in April and the other overstayed his student visa.
The new details about the Jordanians who attempted to illegally enter Quantico – one of the largest US Marine bases – come just a week after Congress held a classified hearing on attempts by foreign nationals to infiltrate and monitor American military installations.
The two Jordanian nationals attempted to enter Marine Corps Base Quantico on May 3.
Both individuals are now in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to several Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials in the report.
The Jordanian who entered the United States illegally in April did so through the San Diego, California, sector, which has seen a dramatic increase in illegal immigration this year.
According to DHS sources, the apprehended man was issued a summons – a legal procedure requiring him to appear for an immigration court hearing at a later date.
Both men are currently being prepared for deportation proceedings, the sources revealed.
An Amazon spokesperson told the outlet that it appears the Jordanians in question were not making deliveries on behalf of the company and would be investigating the incident further.
Recently, migrants from Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, India, Bangladesh and China crossed the US-Mexico border at Jacumba Hot Springs, California. It is likely that the Jordanian national entered via a similar route
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 United States illegally.
Quantico, where the Jordanians hoped to enter, is one of the largest and most secure Marine Corps installations in the United States.
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 screening standards, which complement President Biden’s stated desire to ‘cross the border’ with inadmissible migrants, have created an environment conducive to exploitation by individuals aiming to weaken the United States at its most critical points. .’
“If individuals on the terrorist watch list are so emboldened to attempt to enter a Marine Corps base, the Department of Homeland Security and the entire Executive Branch must act quickly to identify, apprehend and arrest these hostile actors on American soil,” writes the Republican letter. declared.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin also expressed his dismay in a letter to Biden.
“The attempted breach at Quantico and the federal government’s silence on the immigration status of those involved reiterate the seriousness of your failure to secure the southern border and notify state governments of illegal migrant relocations so that I can protest against the safety of all Virginians.
The Virginian demanded that Biden provide state officials with a briefing on the attempted intrusion.
“Please explain how they got to the United States. Were they here illegally? Are any of them on a terrorist watch list? Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., asked DHS Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas in a recent letter.
Previously, a senior Republican told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview that foreign nationals from a multitude of countries had attempted to infiltrate US military bases.
China, Iran, Russia and Middle Eastern terrorist groups are involved in attempts to gain access to U.S. facilities, said Rep. Glenn Grothman, Republican of Wisconsin.
A Chinese national broke into the Marine Corps Air and Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif., in March before being arrested.
A group of Chinese nationals were arrested in 2023 while diving near a missile array at Cape Canaveral, pictured here
“There were reports that from our military bases… foreign nationals were taking photos and recording what was happening.”
He also claimed that various foreign nationals were “maybe getting jobs like DoorDash or something and then snooping around to see what they could find” at U.S. military bases.
Reports further indicate that foreign nationals have used drones to enhance their surveillance efforts.
And Grothman warned that these attempts have increased significantly in recent years.
“We don’t think this is something that was happening in a very significant way just a few years ago,” he said. “So these new things.”
The Wisconsin Republican said the increase in espionage attempts comes as record numbers of non-Hispanic foreigners cross the U.S.-Mexico border into the American heartland.
And the details now revealing that the Jordanians are in the United States illegally are sure to strengthen the suspicions of Grothman and his fellow lawmakers.
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