Chairman McCaul Says Arrest of Ohio Man Highlights "Grave Threat" of Returning Jihadists

Statement

Today, U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement regarding the arrest of an American citizen in Ohio by federal authorities on charges of training with a terrorist organization overseas and planning to commit acts of terror in the homeland.

Chairman McCaul: "This arrest highlights the grave threat we face from returning American jihadists. Terrorist groups like ISIS and al Qaeda are luring Americans to the combat zone in Syria and Iraq, and radicalized individuals are now clearly returning with the training and motivation to bring terror to our shores. The Director of National Intelligence recently said around 40 U.S. residents have joined extremists in Syria and are already back in our country, an alarming admission that suggests there are gaps in our defenses. The Obama Administration must ramp up its efforts to keep more Americans from traveling to terrorist sanctuaries--now--and must do everything possible to keep these terrorists from returning to the United States. I launched a bipartisan Task Force to fully examine this threat, and I urge the White House's cooperation in determining how we can better combat it."

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