US intelligence agencies believe that hundreds of people fr om Central Asia associated with the Islamic State terrorist group have illegally entered the United States over the past few years. US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard stated this on Wednesday, TASS reports.

"Our border was crossed by 4,000 people from Central Asia who used a network associated with ISIS. Our National Counterterrorism Center identified these people. They include hundreds of identified terrorists or individuals associated with them," she stressed, speaking at a press conference in the town of Eagle Pass in the state of Texas on the border with Mexico. Gabbard did not clarify what network she was talking about.

According to Gabbard, "a little more than 100 of these individuals were detained in 2024." "Of those, eight people were deported and remained in custody," the Director of National Intelligence explained. She indicated that the rest were "released" and remained in the United States. "Where are they? What are they doing? What are they planning?" she asked.

Gabbard noted that American intelligence agencies are trying to "identify those who pose a threat" and detain them. According to her, during the work of the Joe Biden administration, 21 million illegal immigrants have ended up in the United States. "They have not been checked. We do not know wh ere they are," she explained.