U.S. Border Patrol agents on Monday arrested 11 Iranians in Arizona after they were found illegally entering the United States from Mexico.
A statement from U.S. Customs and Border Protection said there were six men and five women in the group. They were arrested and are being processed at Yuma station in Arizona.
Iran is a “special interest country,” according to the statement, which means it is a country known by the U.S. to have terrorists and terrorist organizations. The agency did not specify how the Iranians got to Mexico or why they entered the country.
“Yuma Sector agents regularly encounter people from all over the world, including Special Interest Countries,” the statement reads. “Agents adjudicate each arrest in accordance with law and policy in order to secure our nation’s borders.”
Yuma Border Patrol agents have arrested the most Iranians illegally crossing the border in the past two years. It apprehended more than half of the Iranian people who crossed in 2020, arresting eight out of the 14 documented that year.
In fiscal 2021, Yuma has already arrested 14 Iranian people illegally crossing the border.
“Iran is a designated Special Interest Country and the agents of Yuma Sector work diligently to protect our borders for the safety of our nation,” the statement reads. “Border security is national security.”