Police in Texas encountered 36 illegal immigrants near the southern border on Friday, including a group from Turkey who said they had illegally crossed the border after paying $12,000 each to meet “sponsors” in New Jersey, authorities said.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, officers found the group in the border town of Normandy.
Fifteen migrants from Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and South Africa were arrested on suspicion of trespassing.
Caught on camera: Immigrants cutting fence arrested by federal agents
Police in Texas found 36 migrants near the southern border on Friday. (Texas Department of Public Safety)
The group included so-called “special interest” illegal immigrants from Turkey, Pakistan, India and Vietnam. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), special interest immigrants are non-U.S. citizens who may pose a national security risk to the United States or its interests based on their travel patterns.
The designation does not mean these individuals are “terrorists,” but their travel or actions indicate possible connections to nefarious activity, including terrorism, and warrant further review and investigation, the Department of Homeland Security said on its website.
Former Border Patrol chief slams Biden administration for concealing information about immigrants with suspected terrorism ties
Three people believed to be illegal immigrants from various countries arrived in Texas on Friday. (Texas Department of Public Safety)
“Over the past 48 hours, DPS officers encountered eight migrants of special interest from five countries in rural Normandy,” DPS Lt. Chris Olivarez posted on X.
Of the 36 migrants apprehended Friday, 21 were handed over to the U.S. Border Patrol.
One 26-year-old man interviewed by authorities among the group of Turkish migrants said he had found a “network” on Telegram and Instagram helping them enter the US illegally.
He told investigators he had a sponsor in New Jersey.
Click here to get the FOX News app
“They take care of our expenses and everything else while we're in jail legally,” he can be heard saying in jail body camera footage posted online.
