In a coordinated operation over the weekend, authorities arrested eight men from Tajikistan in New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles, who were suspected of having potential ties to ISIS, as reported by three individuals familiar with the matter to NBC News on Tuesday. The suspects had been under the radar of the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force and were apprehended by personnel from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), also known as ICE.

All eight men entered the United States through the southern border, and their criminal background checks, conducted at the time of their border crossing, came back clean, according to two officials. At least two of the men crossed the border in the spring of 2023, with one using the CBP One app, an application introduced by the Biden administration to allow migrants to schedule asylum appointments.

The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force had been monitoring a potential terror threat originating in central Europe, which led to the surveillance of these men as part of their ongoing investigation, as confirmed by three sources. A senior U.S. official revealed that the FBI closely monitored the group for several months, extensively tracking their activities.

While the men have not yet been charged with a terror connection or plot, the FBI alerted ICE to the potential ties with ISIS, resulting in their arrest on immigration charges, according to two sources. Currently, they are being detained and will face removal proceedings before an immigration judge, with the possibility of later facing terrorism-related charges.

In a joint statement released on Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI stated, "Over the last few days, ICE agents arrested several non-citizens pursuant to immigration authorities. The actions were carried out in close coordination with the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Forces. The individuals arrested are detained in ICE custody pending removal proceedings."

Furthermore, two individuals familiar with the situation disclosed that the intelligence leading to the surveillance and subsequent arrests of these eight men was also instrumental in the arrest of an Uzbek man in Baltimore in April, who was allegedly connected to ISIS.

As investigations into these cases continue, authorities remain vigilant in their efforts to ensure national security and combat potential terror threats that may arise from international sources.