One hundred days into the Trump administration, the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) has identified nearly 1,200 alleged terrorists illegally present in the United States, according to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
Gabbard, who leads the NCTC, announced Monday on X that following Trump’s designation of Mexican cartels and transnational gangs as foreign terrorist organizations, she directed her staff to pursue individuals tied to those groups who are inside the U.S. illegally.
She said the 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.” These designations were part of an executive order issued by President Trump on his second day in office, which formally named those groups as both foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) and specially designated global terrorists (SDGTs). Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the FTO designations official on February 6, with implementation beginning February 20.
Gabbard said the NCTC is working to strengthen national security vetting systems across agencies and ensure a unified screening process for those entering or already inside the U.S. illegally. “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,” she said.
