Federal authorities have sent an Iranian national with “links to terrorism” back to Canada more than two months after he tried to cross the border illegally on two separate occasions.
The unnamed individual – wanted by Canadian authorities on assault charges – was formally removed on December 21 by Buffalo’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said.
The man is wanted by Canadian authorities as a “national security priority” and has unspecified “links to terrorism”.
The fugitive first tried to enter the US on October 10, when he presented himself to immigration officials on the Rainbow Pedestrian Walkway in Niagara Falls, ICE said.
He was turned away by Customs and Border Protection officers and escorted to Canada Border Services.
The man was first turned away by border authorities at the Rainbow Bridge. AFP via Getty Images
Two days later, however, US Border Patrol arrested him when he illegally entered the US “at or around” the Whirlpool Bridge Port of Entry in Niagara Falls, the statement continued.
The Iranian national was served with an immediate removal order by ERO Buffalo on November 8.
He remained in the US for six weeks, until he was transferred to Canada under the Safe Third Country Act, ICE explained.
The official removal was announced by ICE this week. Getty Images
“A strong law enforcement partnership between ERO Buffalo and Canadian law enforcement authorities is essential to enhancing national security and preventing dangerous individuals from escaping justice,” ERO Buffalo Field Office Director Thomas Brophy said in the statement.
“The Canadian’s return to Canada to face charges is because of dedicated officers on both sides of the border, working in tandem, to provide public safety for our communities,” he added.
In 2023, authorities found 564 individuals whose names appeared on terrorist watch lists on the northern and southern borders, according to Customs and Border Patrol data.
Of those, 172 managed to cross illegally into the US.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
