Police officers in the US state of Texas on Friday encountered 36 illegal immigrants near the southern border, including a group from Turkey who said they each paid $12,000 to cross the border illegally in an attempt to meet a “sponsor” in New Jersey, Fox News reported.

Police found the group of illegals in the border town of Normandy, the Texas Department of Public Safety said. Fifteen migrants from Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and South Africa were arrested on suspicion of trespassing.

Among this group were so-called “persons of special interest”. These are illegal immigrants from Turkey, Pakistan, India and Vietnam.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), special interest migrants are non-U.S. citizens who potentially pose a threat to U.S. national security or interests based on the nature of their travel.

This definition does not mean that these individuals are “terrorists,” but their travel and behavior indicate a possible connection to criminal activity, including terrorism, which requires further screening and investigation.