According to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), two Jordanian nationals were arrested earlier this month after attempting to break into Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia. One of them entered the US illegally in April but was released, while the other was a foreign student whose visa status was revoked in January.
Both men were arrested on May 3, 2024, after attempting to break into a Marine Corps base.
A base spokesman said two people in a box truck were stopped at the gate, and the driver reportedly told military police he was on his way to make a delivery to the post office and worked for an Amazon subcontractor.
However, an Amazon spokesperson told Fox News that it does not appear that these individuals were making deliveries on the company’s behalf and that the company is investigating the matter.
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This split will depict Marine Corps Base Quantico and ICE agents. (John Moore/Getty Images) and (Photo: Matthew Cavanaugh/Getty Images)
Both men were not affiliated with the base and were unable to provide approved identification, so they were escorted to a waiting area for identification checks.
ICE confirmed that the base’s Criminal Investigations Division arrested two Jordanian foreign nationals on suspicion of trespassing.
“Marine base authorities [Enforcement and Removal Operations] “ERO Washington DC was contacted about the arrests,” said ERO Washington spokesman James Covington. “ERO Washington DC deportation officers responded and arrested both individuals without incident. Both individuals will remain in ERO custody until deportation proceedings are completed.”
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The main gate of the U.S. Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, March 22, 2013. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
One of the individuals was admitted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on September 11, 2022 as an F-1 nonimmigrant student with authorization to remain in the United States for the duration of his or her student status, which was scheduled to end on January 14, 2023.
According to ICE, the second Jordanian was arrested near San Ysidro, California, on April 8, 2024 after illegally entering the United States from Mexico.
Following his arrest, he was ordered to appear before an immigration judge on April 9 and released on bail.
Jordanian who attempted to break into Marine Corps Base Quantico was in US illegally, sources say
This aerial photo taken on September 14, 2023, shows the US-Mexico border fence with camp shelters left by migrants in San Ysidro, California. (Sandy Huffaker/AFP via Getty Images)
About a month later, the two Jordanian nationals were arrested in Quantico on suspicion of trespassing.
ICE said it had no information indicating the two Jordanians had ties to organizations that posed a threat to public safety or national security.
Similarly, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) source told Fox News that neither suspect has a criminal record in the United States, and the FBI declined to say whether the suspects were on a terrorist watch list.
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FILE: U.S. Customs and Border Protection patch on the uniform of a U.S. Border Patrol district chief patrol officer. (CBP)
“In accordance with Department of Justice policy, the FBI cannot confirm or deny whether it is conducting a specific investigation,” an FBI spokesperson said. “It is our policy not to confirm or deny whether specific individuals are on watch lists.”
Officials also said their identities were not made public due to privacy concerns.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is currently under intense scrutiny over the incident.
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Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas speaks at the Capitol on Wednesday, April 10. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)
“Please explain how they got to the United States. Were they here illegally? Are either of them on a terrorist watch list?” Sen. Lindsey Graham, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, asked Mayorkas in a recent letter, also asking about their current status.
Meanwhile, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin said he would be “formally requesting an immediate, detailed report on these events be provided to me and my public safety and homeland security leadership team.”
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A DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital, “DHS responds directly to Congressional communications through official channels, and the department will continue to respond appropriately to Congressional oversight.”
Fox News’ Griff Jenkins, Greg Norman, Michael Lewis, Adam Shaw and Julia Johnson contributed to this report.
