Two Jordanian nationals in ICE custody over breach at Quantico Marine base: Possible ‘ISIS dry run’

Two Jordanians who may have been doing a “dry run for Al Qaeda or ISIS” have been arrested after allegedly trying to scam and then ram their way onto a US marine base in Virginia with a truck.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed to The Post two Jordanian nationals are now in custody after being stopped at the front gate of Quantico Marine Corps Base, 35 miles southwest of Washington DC.

“On May 3, 2024, Marine Corps Base Quantico’s Criminal Investigations Division arrested two Jordanian noncitizens for trespassing,” ICE Washington spokesperson James Covington said.

“Deportation officers from Enforcement and Removal Operations’ [ERO] Criminal Apprehension Program responded and arrested both individuals without incident.”

The incident was first reported by Potomac Local News and highlighted by The Post on Monday .

The local site reported multiple sources saying the truck’s occupants had recently crossed the southern border into the US and one occupant was on the US government’s terrorist watch list.

However, authorities would not confirm if either were on the terror watch list, elaborate on their intentions or what was in the truck, only saying the pair will remain in custody and will be deported from the US.

The Jordanian pair drove a box truck up to the Fuller Road Gate of Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, where they were stopped by military sentries on May 3, Capt. Michael Curtis, a spokesman for the base, said in an earlier statement to The Post.

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“When asked, the operator of the truck informed the military police officers they worked for a company subcontracted by Amazon and were making a delivery to the US Post Office located in the Town of Quantico,” he explained.

The military officers reportedly realized the occupants of the vehicle had no affiliation to Quantico or approved credentials and directed them to a holding area to be vetted.

“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,” Curtis 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 ICE custody.

“No injuries were sustained.”

Former Navy SEAL Robert O’Neill told The Post the breach showed signs of being a possible “dry run” most likely for “Al Qaeda or ISIS” to “see how far they can get a truck into the base” and how the base worked for a future terror attack.

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“It looks like it was a test run for something else like truck bombs because they tried to get in saying they were delivery drivers then sped up as the barricades popped up.

According to O’Neill, the Marines’ response shows they did a “good job” because no one was killed in the process.

“The [Jordanians] are lucky they weren’t shot,” he said.

The incident is the latest in a string of US marine base breaches.

A driver without clearance did not stop or slow down when approaching the main gate at Naval Air Station North Island, part of the wider Naval Base Coronado in California on March 17.

The vehicle passed through the gate and base guards opened fire on the vehicle, forcing it to stop. The base went into lockdown, closing all of the gates as a result.

Base guards took the suspect into custody and he was arrested by the Coronado Police Department.

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Just 10 days later, a Chinese national attempted to drive onto Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms in California after military police informed him he was not authorized to do so, Marine Corps officials told Military.com.

“The suspect briefly made it past gate guards … but was immediately apprehended by military police,” Marine spokesperson Maj. Joshua Pena told Military.com.

On December, a deranged Florida man who identified himself as “Captain America,” tried to barge into the MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. He was later identified as Baruch Roche, 33.

“Roche became argumentative and threatened to come back every day to look for the officers denying him entry,” prosecutors said in a press release.

“Due to his suspicious behavior, Roche was detained and security personnel searched his vehicle.

“An AR-15 rife was located in the trunk as well as five magazines loaded with 125 rounds of ammunition.”

In October last year, Air Force security personnel were forced to fire several shots in self-defense when a driver breached the main entry point to Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis in Texas, according to the base.

Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston spokesman Robert Strain told military.com that the driver drove toward the guards “at a high rate of speed in the wrong direction of traffic”.

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