WASHINGTON: A 40-year-old Pakistani man who pleaded guilty to providing material support to the Pakistani Taliban was removed from the United States last week by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
Irfan Ul Haq pleaded guilty in 2011 to providing material support to the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, also known as the Pakistani Taliban, a designated foreign terrorist organization. As part of the guilty plea, Haq agreed to a stipulated order of removal upon the completion of his criminal sentence.
According to federal court documents, Haq admitted that he conspired to provide material support to the Pakistani Taliban in the form of false documentation. Haq and his associates conducted a human smuggling operation that attempted to smuggle into the United States an individual they believed to be a member of the Pakistani Taliban.
“The removal of Haq demonstrates the United States’ resolve to not only criminally charge those associated with terrorism, but also remove them from our country,” said ICE Director Sarah Saldana. “We have zero tolerance for those who conspire to help those who would do us harm. We are committed to dismantling the networks that attempt to facilitate the travel of would-be terrorists.”