Real deal illegal migrant terror suspect, 18, nabbed in NYC months after he was released at border: sources

An illegal migrant and suspected terrorist was arrested in New York City Monday after he was released at the border three months ago — despite authorities being aware of his alleged terror ties.Umar Farooq Ashraf, from South Africa, was nabbed at a Brooklyn apartment in a “multi-agency effort” to track him down, Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens announced Tuesday.Ashraf, 18, was initially busted by Texas Department of Public Safety troopers in Normandy in September after crossing the border illegally and detained on charges of criminal trespass, according to Chris Olivarez, spokesperson for the Texas DPS — South Texas Region.During a screening while in their custody, the agency received an alert from the Terror Screening Center identifying Ashraf as a “spouse or child of a known or suspected terrorist.” The illegal migrant was then transferred over to federal authorities, who then released him despite the suspected terror ties.It is unclear when Ashraf was handed off to the feds and when he was released, but the suspected terrorist made his way to the Big Apple before he was finally nabbed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).Owens said the 18-year-old was released “based on information available at the time,” without elaborating.

“A further subsequent investigation revealed a positive match on the terrorist watchlist, prompting swift action by USBP agents and personnel at the National Targeting Center,” the Border Patrol chief added.ICE officers made contact with Ashraf at his apartment in Brooklyn Monday morning on an arrest warrant, sources told The Post.A Homeland Security source, meanwhile, scoffed about a “major lapse in intelligence” in the case, calling Ashraf “a real deal” terrorist “without a doubt.”The suspected terrorist was then taken into federal custody and transported to the ICE detention center in Elizabeth, New Jersey, where he told officers he feared being deported back to South Africa.“Thanks to the coor...