Tulsi Gabbard Details the Nearly 1,200 Terror Suspects Illegally Living in U.S.

One hundred days into President Donald Trump’s second term, the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) has identified nearly 1,200 alleged terrorists illegally present in the United States, according to an announcement Monday from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

Gabbard, who leads the NCTC, stated on X that after President Trump designated Mexican cartels and major transnational gangs as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), she directed her team to expand efforts to locate and track individuals linked to terrorism within the U.S.

“To date, the NCTC had identified and provided leads to law enforcement on approximately 750 individuals with ties to MS-13, Tren de Aragua (TdA), and the Sinaloa Cartel as a part of its screening and vetting process,” Gabbard stated.

To date, NCTC has identified and provided leads to law enforcement on approximately 750 individuals with ties to MS-13, Tren de Aragua, and the Sinaloa Cartel as a part of its screening and vetting process.

— DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) April 28, 2025

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This development follows reports that violent crime connected to Tren de Aragua expanded into at least 22 states during the Biden-Harris administration, according to The Center Square.

The first group identified by the NCTC includes members associated with designated terrorist cartels and gangs.

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A second group is tied to Islamic terrorism.

Gabbard said the NCTC is also “actively working to track down the location of illegal migrants who previously used an ISIS network to enter our country so they can be deported immediately.”

She referenced Department of Homeland Security findings from last year that identified 400 illegal foreign nationals with ties to an ISIS-affiliated human smuggling operation.

“To date, we have identified more than 400 of these individuals with terror ties,” Gabbard said.

NCTC is actively working to track down the location of illegal migrants who previously used an ISIS network to enter our country so they can be deported immediately.

To date, we have identified more than 400 of these individuals with terror ties.

— DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) April 28, 2025

It remains unclear if these individuals are the same as those previously identified by DHS.

The combined efforts have led to nearly 1,200 individuals being flagged as potential terrorists illegally residing within the United States.

On his second day in office, President Trump signed an executive order designating the Sinaloa Cartel, Tren de Aragua, and MS-13 as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs).

“The cartels have engaged in a campaign of violence and terror throughout the Western Hemisphere that has not only destabilized countries with significant importance for our national interests but also flooded the United States with deadly drugs, violent criminals, and vicious gangs,” Trump’s order stated.

“They functionally control, through a campaign of assassination, terror, rape, and brute force nearly all illegal traffic across the southern border of the United States.”

The executive order further described Tren de Aragua and MS-13 as threats engaging in violence that destabilizes the Western Hemisphere and poses an “extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.”

The order directed the Secretaries of State, Treasury, and Homeland Security, along with Gabbard, to implement appropriate measures to enforce the designations.

On February 6, Secretary of State Marco Rubio officially designated the groups as FTOs, with the designations taking effect on February 20.

Gabbard indicated the NCTC is working to strengthen vetting procedures across federal agencies to ensure that future individuals entering the country are properly screened.

“We are also working to ensure those who enter our country are vetted through a single source, as well as those who already entered our country illegally,” Gabbard said.

“This will streamline processes to prevent terrorists from entering our country, determine who is already in our country, identify those posing a threat, and remove them.”

We are also working to ensure those who enter our country are vetted through a single source, as well as those who already entered our country illegally.

This will streamline processes to prevent terrorists from entering our country, determine who is already in our country,…

— DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) April 28, 2025

President Trump’s actions follow record-high numbers of known or suspected terrorists (KSTs) apprehended under the Biden-Harris administration.

From fiscal years 2021 to 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recorded 1,903 KST apprehensions, according to The Center Square.

Of those, 1,216 individuals—about 64%—were apprehended at the northern border with Canada. Another 687 were apprehended at the southwest border with Mexico.

The Trump administration’s moves come amid heightened concerns among Americans over rising terrorism threats.

Polling data during the Biden-Harris administration showed that a majority of Americans believed the danger of terrorism had increased, a trend that coincided with a rise in domestic Islamic terrorist incidents, as previously reported by The Center Square.

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