The Nicaraguan military arrested two Egyptians and two Iraqis, who they suspect are members of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS), attempting to cross into Mexico and ultimately the US.
Egyptians Mohamed Ibrahim, 33, and Mahmoud Samy Eissa, 26, and Iraqis Ahmed Ghanim Mohamed Al jubury, 41, and Mustafa Ali Mohamed Yaoob, 29, were all arrested in an unprotected area near the Nicaraguan border with Costa Rica.
“These alerts are quite frequent, and often don’t necessarily mean those mentioned will try to enter the country. They just mean that possible terrorist suspects have been identified, but do not provide any insight into their movements or destinations,” Alfonso Durazo of the Nicaraguan military police said.
All four were found to have legitimate travel visas for Costa Rica and they will be deported from Nicaragua and handed over to the Costa Rican authorities.
Costa Rican and Mexican authorities had already been placed on high alert about the possibility of three ISIS members attempting to cross through Central America to enter the US, a matter which caught the attention of Donald Trump Jr. through media reports.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador had also been alerted of the presence of possible ISIS members by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Earlier this month, captured IS fighter Abu Henricki al Canadi revealed another plot targeting the US financial system, with a group of militants due to be ferried to Puerto Rico and then Mexico before crossing into the US.