Gov. Youngkin demands answers from White House following near breach at Quantico
Gov. Glenn Youngkin is demanding answers from President Joe Biden after two Jordanian nationals attempted to breach the gates of Marine Corps Base Quantico earlier this month.
On the morning of May 3, two men in a box truck were stopped at the Fuller Road gate by military police. When asked, the operator of the truck informed officers they worked for a company subcontracted by Amazon and were making a delivery to the U.S. Post Office in the town of Quantico, said Marine Corps Capt. Michael R. Curtis.
“Due to the occupants of the vehicle having no affiliation to the Marine Corps Base Quantico and no approved credentials to access the installation, the military police officers directed the vehicle to a holding area while they conducted standard access control vetting procedures,” Curtis said in an email.
One of the military police officers then noticed the driver “ignoring the direct instructions of the officers,” Curtis said. He continued to move the vehicle past the holding area and attempted to access the base.
“Due to the swift response and execution of their duties, the officers were able to deploy the vehicle denial barriers, prevent any further access to Marine Corps Base Quantico, and detain the individuals,” Curtis said.
No one was injured.
Military police turned over the two men to U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement.
In a Wednesday letter to the Biden administration, Youngkin said he was “deeply concerned” about the lack of details surrounding the incident and the two men involved. The near breach was first reported by Potomac Local News.
“The federal government has not provided adequate information to Virginia on these matters, and the publicly available facts are disturbing,” Youngkin wrote. “At this point, I cannot even begin to adequately assess the true nature of these potential threats — let alone take the necessary action to fulfill my duties as Chief Executive and Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia.”
Fox News reported one of the Jordanians reportedly entered the country through Mexico in April and was released on a notice to appear, while the other stayed illegally in the U.S. after their student visa expired in 2023.
“The Federal Government’s failure to promptly inform and collaborate with state partners on this matter is simply inexcusable and counter to the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) agreement to share information,” Youngkin wrote.
Youngkin wrote that he is formally requesting a full briefing from the White House and federal government, noting that the near breach is one of several similar incidents this year at military bases across the country.