Afghan national accused in terror plot was not vetted for SIV status, despite past Biden admin claims

The Biden-Harris administration present admits that an Afghan nationalist accused of plotting an Election Day panic onslaught did not acquisition definite vetting they antecedently claimed helium passed. 

Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, was ne'er vetted oregon approved by the State Department for peculiar migrant (SIV) status, though officials from different agencies had claimed helium cleared that stringent process. 

Additionally, sources acquainted with the probe archer Fox News that Tawhedi was not good known to the U.S. authorities erstwhile the medication facilitated his departure to the states, contempt his information relation with the CIA successful Afghanistan. Fox News has learned Tawhedi was employed arsenic a section defender extracurricular the basal perimeter and helium would not person been among the astir thoroughly vetted U.S. partners. 

The quality upends claims officials made past week that Tawhedi was vetted 3 times: archetypal to enactment for the CIA successful Afghanistan, past to travel to the U.S. connected Department of Homeland Security (DHS) humanitarian parole during the withdrawal and a 3rd clip erstwhile helium was approved for peculiar migrant (SIV) presumption aft arriving successful the U.S. 

AFGHAN ISIS TERROR PLOT: BIDEN ADMIN AGENCIES POINT FINGERS AS LAWMAKERS DEMAND ANSWERS

A photograph of Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi and his children from July wherever helium allegedly described to his girl and different kid "the rewards a martyr receives successful the afterlife." (Department of Justice)

Officials present admit Tawhedi was ne'er vetted oregon approved for peculiar migrant (SIV) status, a thorough State Department process which tin instrumentality years to complete. The State Department has maintained each on it had nary relation successful Tawhedi’s exile status, contempt what a DHS lawsuit cause told investigators – starring to its inaccurate notation successful the DOJ transgression complaint. 

Last week, Biden medication officials defended the error, explaining that Tawhedi archetypal entered the state connected DHS humanitarian parole – which had its ain vetting process – but aboriginal applied for SIV status, subjecting him to different circular of vetting which helium besides cleared. Those aforesaid officials present admit that assertion was wrong, and Tawhedi was ne'er vetted oregon approved for SIV. 

However, officials present accidental Tawhedi was subjected to "recurrent" vetting arsenic portion of his DHS humanitarian parole nether Operation Allies Welcome – but this raises caller questions. 

DHS has repeatedly stated that nary reddish flags were identified astatine immoderate constituent successful Tawhedi’s vetting, but 3 sources forcefully disputed DHS’ characterization of the vetting process arsenic "thorough." 

AFGHAN CHARGED WITH ELECTION DAY TERROR PLOT RAISES QUESTIONS, FEARS FROM LAWMAKERS: ‘THIS IS REAL’

Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi is seen making the "Tawhid" motion successful a photograph taken.   (Department of Justice)

According to a 2022 DHS Inspector General Report, DHS did not supply information oregon grounds to enactment its assertion that "recurrent vetting processes were established for each paroled Afghan evacuees for the duration of their parole period." The study besides stated that DHS admitted oregon paroled evacuees who were not afloat vetted into the United States, successful galore cases due to the fact that accusation utilized to vet evacuees done U.S. Government databases, specified arsenic name, day of birth, recognition number, and question papers data, was inaccurate, incomplete, oregon missing. 

The 2022 audit by the DHS Office of the Inspector General revealed 417 records with a archetypal sanction unknown, 242 records with a past sanction chartless and 11,110 records with a birthdate recorded arsenic "January 1."  Additionally, 36,400 question records listed "facilitation document" arsenic the papers type, and 7,800 records had invalid oregon missing papers numbers. U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not support a database of individuals paroled oregon admitted into the state without due identification. 

MAYORKAS REFUSES TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ON AFGHAN ACCUSED OF ELECTION DAY TERROR PLOT

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas speaks connected Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, during a briefing astatine the White House successful Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Recurrent vetting was initiated by CBP for Operation Allies Welcome parolees anterior to their accomplishment successful the United States. CBP shared biographical accusation collected during the archetypal screening and vetting process with the National Vetting Center (NVC) and designated Vetting Support Agencies (VSAs) – outer to DHS –  for recurrent vetting against classified accusation successful NVC and VSA information holdings. 

DHS stated successful the 2024 last study that "the National Vetting Center recurrent vetting is ongoing and progressive for each OAW parolees", but the bureau has besides told Fox News, "Vetting is simply a point-in-time cheque that evaluates accusation disposable to the U.S. Government astatine that time." 

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DHS says "If individuals who person entered the state are aboriginal recovered to beryllium associated with accusation indicating a imaginable nationalist information oregon nationalist information concern, DHS and our national partners analyse and instrumentality due enactment successful keeping with the ngo of protecting the homeland." 

Prosecutors accidental Tawhedi obtained firearms and ammunition to behaviour a convulsive onslaught connected U.S. soil, arsenic good arsenic taking a fig of steps to hole for the alleged plot. He is charged with conspiring and attempting to supply worldly enactment to ISIS and receiving a firearm to beryllium utilized to perpetrate a felony oregon a national transgression of terrorism. 

Investigators are inactive moving to find whether Tawhedi was radicalized earlier oregon aft coming to the U.S.

Fox News Digital's Louis Casioano and David Spunt contributed to this report.