Seven illegals, including five Iranians, arrested at the northern border

• On July 1, U.S. Border Patrol agents near Mooers Forks, New York stopped a minivan carrying seven men – five Iranians and two Uzbekistanis – attempting to enter the U.S. illegally from Canada. All had prior illegal entry records and faced deportation proceedings.
• The arrests raised alarms about foreign operatives exploiting weak borders amid heightened U.S.-Iran tensions, with experts warning of potential sleeper cells or hostile actors bypassing inadequate vetting processes.
• The incident followed U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in late June, prompting Iranian retaliation threats and scrutiny of Iran-linked individuals entering Western nations. Historical Iranian aggression abroad (e.g., assassination plots, espionage) adds urgency to border security.
• The Swanton Sector (U.S.-Canada border) has seen over 300 migrants from 45 countries intercepted in 2024, with this being the first involving Iranians.
• The arrests highlight the tension between open borders and national security, fueling debates over immigration enforcement priorities as geopolitical risks escalate. Immigration courts will decide the detainees’ fate, but their capture underscores ongoing homeland security challenges.

Border agents intercepted a minivan carrying seven men attempting to enter the U.S. illegally early this month, according to a statement by Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

In the statement released on July 15, CBP confirmed the July 1 incident that happened near Mooers Forks, New York. The area is part of the U.S. Border Patrol’s Swanton Sector, a rural stretch along the country’s border with Canada.

Border Patrol agents from the Champlain, New York station responded to suspicious activity and discovered the minivan packed with foreign nationals. A total of seven men – five Iranians and two Uzbeks – were apprehended on the scene.

According to the CBP statement, all seven foreigners arrested had previously entered the country illegally. It noted that the men were detained pending deportation proceedings. “Border security is national security,” the CBP emphasized.

The incident follows targeted U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in late June. Washington’s strikes prompted threats of retaliation from Tehran and renewed scrutiny of Iran-linked individuals entering Western nations.

Moreover, the arrest of the seven reignites concerns about foreign operatives exploiting porous borders amid escalating U.S.-Iran tensions. It also raises alarms about recurrent breaches as counterterrorism experts warn of potential sleeper cells embedded nationwide.

Foiled plots and failed vetting: How Tehran’s operatives could exploit open borders

Counterterrorism expert Jonathan Gilliam told Fox News this month that Iranian operatives could be “hiding in plain sight.” He cited lax border policies under the Biden administration as a vulnerability, something the second Trump administration seeks to rectify.

According to Gilliam, a former special agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, inadequate vetting might allow hostile actors to slip through. “They could go to the border and say they seek asylum,” he warned.

The Department of State‘s 2023 terrorism report documented Iranian plots across Europe and the United States. These include a foiled assassination attempt in New York and espionage targeting dissident media in London.

Historically, Iranian aggression abroad has triggered crackdowns. Albania expelled Iranian diplomats in 2018 over terrorist ties, while Denmark recalled its ambassador in 2023 after uncovering an Iran-backed assassination plot.

The latest arrests underscore persistent gaps in border enforcement, with Swanton Sector agents apprehending over 300 illegal migrants from 45 countries this year alone. Until the July 1 incident, none of those arrested were from the Islamic republic. (Related: 160 Individuals on terror list have attempted to cross into U.S. this year – ILLEGALLY, of course.)

As geopolitical tensions flare, the interception highlights the challenges of securing borders against transnational threats. With Iranian leaders vowing vengeance for U.S. strikes and migration routes increasingly exploited, the stakes for homeland security have never been higher.

The detained men’s fate now rests with immigration courts, but their capture serves as a stark reminder of the delicate balance between open borders and national safety. Their arrest underscores why border security remains a flashpoint in debates over America’s priorities – domestic stability or foreign entanglement.

Head over to InvasionUSA.news for more similar stories.

Watch former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson warning about the dangers of Iranian terrorists in the country in this interview.

This video is from the Cynthia’s Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Five illegal migrants on FBI’s terrorist watchlist ARRESTED shortly after Title 42 expired.

ISIS-linked migrant was living in the U.S. for more than two years before his arrest.

Political scientist secretly working for the Iranian government arrested by feds.

Sources include:

InfoWars.com

FoxNews.com

IranIntl.com

Brighteon.com