US officials were raising concerns about a rise in violent crime committed by foreign nationals, including those illegally residing in the country.
The US has also experienced an increase in noncitizens trying to access military bases, leading some observers to see similarities with Hamas’ October 7 attacks on Israel.
“In both cases, Islamic fundamentalists entered (or are entering and have entered, in the case of the southern border) the two nations, which they have sworn to eradicate because of their fundamentalist beliefs that promote the annihilation of kaffirs (nonbelievers),” filmmaker Namrata Singh Gujral told The Media Line via email.
Gujral directed the documentary film “America, Invaded,” which was released earlier this year. The film highlighted America’s security vulnerabilities.
“We had 9/11 as a result of belief and access. October 7 happened due to belief and access,” Gujral said. She cited a report from US Customs and Border Protections that multiple Islamic fundamentalists had entered the US through its southern border.
Two years ago, the Latina Muslim Foundation opened a mosque and shelter in Tijuana, Mexico, for Muslims attempting to cross into the United States via the southern border. According to a recent report, over 100 people were staying in the 8,000-square-foot facility.
Concerns over border security
“I don't have a problem with the mosque,” Gujral said. “All people of all religions should be allowed to practice how they see fit. Also, not all Muslims at the border are jihadists.”
But the increase in attempted entry to the US from citizens of countries known for “jihadist ideologies” is a concern, she said.
Gujral said that individuals on the terror watchlist hailing from Yemen, Pakistan, and Iran had recently entered the US. “The terrorists just merge with the group of regular illegal aliens, and there is no way to tell if they are economic migrants or terrorists with an intention to kill and destroy,” she said.
FBI Director Christopher Wray has also expressed concern about Islamists in the US, especially after the October 7 attacks.
"The threats from homegrown violent extremists that are jihadist-inspired, extremists, domestic violent extremists, foreign terrorist organizations, and state-sponsored terrorist organizations, all being elevated at one time since October 7 … that threat has gone to a whole other level,” Wray told Congress in March.
Since Wray made those comments, there have been several attempts by foreign nationals to breach or otherwise surveil US military bases. Last month, two Jordanian men were detained trying to enter Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia. They were apprehended at the gate and turned over to agents from the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) branch of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“Marine Corps Base authorities notified ERO Washington DC of the apprehensions,” ERO Washington spokesperson James Covington told The Media Line. “Deportation officers from ERO Washington DC responded and arrested both individuals without incident. Both individuals will remain in ERO custody pending removal.”
The FBI’s Training Academy is also located in Quantico.
One of the Jordanian men originally entered the US on a student visa, while the other allegedly entered the US illegally via Mexico. The man’s motive remains unclear.
Adm. Daryl Caudle, commander of United States Fleet Forces Command, recently told Fox News that non-Americans, often masquerading as students, have been attempting to penetrate US military bases around the country.
“This thing of our military bases getting penetrated by foreign nationals is happening more and more. This is something we see probably two or three times a week, where we’re stopping these folks at the gate, and this is just the Navy alone,” Caudle said. “It’s really hard for us to tell the underlying motive in these types of cases.”
More recently, a special operations soldier stationed at Fort Liberty shot and killed a Chechen man who the soldier claims was surveilling his off-base house.
Fort Liberty, formerly known as Fort Bragg, is one of the largest US Army installations in the world. The North Carolina military base hosts 55,000 military service members, 12,000 civilian personnel, and roughly 25,000 family members. The US Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, as well as several elite army units, are located on Fort Liberty.
Two 911 calls made by a woman who identified herself as the soldier’s wife were recently made public.
“My husband has gone to meet him, is now talking to him, and yelled to me from the wood line to call the police. He's been very aggressive,” the woman, speaking calmly, told the 911 operator in her first call.
She would call back minutes later. This time, she sounded distressed and, at one point, can be heard asking someone in the background to get a rifle. She told the emergency services operator they needed immediate police assistance.
“There are people advancing on our property. This person is from Chechnya,” the caller said. “He came up on our property line. My kids are in the backyard. He’s taking pictures of our property. My husband is military special ops. He’s trained, and he knows what he’s doing, but I really need some police presence here.”
Deputies from the Moore County Sheriff’s Office arrived 20 minutes after the first call to find the alleged intruder shot dead. He was identified as 35-year-old Ramzan Daraev.
According to a statement from the Moore County Sheriff’s Office, “Daraev was reported to have been working as a subcontractor for Utilities One, a company based in New Jersey, at the time of his death. Investigators are still working to verify his official employment status. At the time of the incident, Daraev was not in possession of any utility equipment, utility clothing, or identification.”
The incident occurred at approximately 8:15 p.m.
US Customs and Border Protection reported that convictions of “criminal noncitizens” have risen dramatically in recent years. Between October 2022 and October 2023, 62 illegal immigrants were apprehended for murder, up from three in that same period between 2017 and 2018.
“Entering the United States without authorization is a violation of federal law, and those who do so may be subject to administrative arrest, and in some cases, criminal prosecution,” Covington said.