Man Attempted to Establish ISIS ‘Safe Haven’ in Southern Border State: DOJ

Signage is seen at the United States Department of Justice headquarters in Washington, on Aug. 29, 2020. Andrew Kelly/Reuters

A man was reportedly trying to establish an ISIS “safe haven” in a southern border state in the United States, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said.

Herman Leyvoune Wilson, 45, from New Mexico was arrested Friday for allegedly attempting to provide material support to the ISIS terrorist organization and attempting to obstruct, influence, and impede at least one official proceeding.

He allegedly attempted to create an “Islamic State Center” to “teach ISIS ideology, provide training in tactical maneuvers and martial arts, and serve as a safe haven for individuals preparing to travel and fight on behalf of ISIS in the United States and abroad,” the DOJ said in a statement.

Wilson allegedly set up an online platform to spread the ISIS terrorist ideology, promote the would-be Islamic State Center, and recruit potential members for the center.

Two of Wilson’s associates, Kristopher Matthews and Jaylin Molina, were arrested in September 2020 for providing material support to ISIS.

The two pleaded guilty in Texas and were sentenced in July 2022 to 20 years and 18 years in prison respectively.

Matthews and Molina told the authorities that Wilson radicalized them to ISIS’s ideology.

After the arrest of Matthews and Molina, Wilson attempted to obstruct the probe by instructing the online platform’s members to shut down the platform, and destroy and conceal online records and documents, a court document (pdf) shows.

Wilson faces up to 20 years in prison for each charge.

His arraignment has been scheduled for Aug. 30.

Terrorists ‘Seek to Exploit’ Southern Border

Terrorists from organizations including Al-Qaeda and ISIS seek to gain entry into the United States and commit acts of terrorism against its citizens every single day, according to testimony by FBI Director Christopher Wray.

In many cases, they attempt to do so by illegally crossing the southern border.

“Certainly, any porous point of entry is a potential vulnerability that bad actors of all sorts, including national security threats, can seek to exploit,” Wray said during a May 25 Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on the FBI’s proposed budget for FY2023.

Wray made the comments in response to a line of questioning by Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), who asked whether there was a persistent threat from known or suspected terrorists attempting to cross the border illegally.

Andrew Thornebrooke contributed to the report.