Two men who were arrested after disregarding Marines’ orders and trying to bust into the base at Quantico are Jordanian migrants, Homeland Security confirmed Thursday night.
The men are now facing deportation and are in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Potomac Local News, which first broke news of the Marine base incursion, reported that one of the men was on the terror watch list.
ICE did not confirm or deny that claim, nor did it release the men’s immigration history, which is usually standard for agency statements on persons in its custody.
“On May 3, 2024, Marine Corps Base Quantico’s Criminal Investigations Division arrested two Jordanian noncitizens for trespassing.
Marine Corps Base authorities notified ERO Washington, D.C. of the apprehensions. Deportation officers from ERO Washington, D.C.’s Criminal Apprehension Program responded and arrested both individuals without incident. Both individuals will remain in ERO custody pending removal proceedings,” ICE spokesman James Covington said in a statement.
“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,” Mr. Covington said.
ERO is Enforcement and Removal Operations, ICE’s deportation force.
Marine Corps Base Quantico described the incident as an “unauthorized access attempt.”
It happened on May 3 at the base’s Fuller Gate.
The two men approached the gate in a box truck and were stopped by the sentries. They said they were making a delivery to the post office.
Military police directed them to a waiting area to conduct a further investigation.
“It was at that time, one of the military police officers noticed the driver, ignoring the direct instructions of the officers, continued to move the vehicle past the holding area and attempted to access Marine Corps Base Quantico,” a base spokesman said.
“Due to the swift response and execution of their duties, the officers were able to deploy the vehicle denial barriers, prevent any further access to Marine Corps Base Quantico, and detain the individuals who were eventually turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody,” the spokesman said.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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