Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa sent a letter to Barack Obama on Monday warning the White House of growing terror threats in Latin America.
"ISIS and its sympathizers are growing more overt in Latin America," Ernst wrote in the letter. "Their increased used of messaging in Spanish and Portuguese, couple with calls for terror in the region, exemplify ISIS's unwavering determination to change and imbed in new surroundings."
The head of a radical Islamic group in Brazil pledged allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in July, according to The Hill.
"The increasing rise of ISIS fighters leaving the Caribbean should indicate to you that this is not a narrowly focused problem," Ernst added. "It is not an accurate representation of the progress we are making against Islamic extremist groups that wish to do us harm. For this reason, in your upcoming meetings with Latin American officials, I ask that you discuss ways to address the growing fight against ISIS."
In July, Navy Adm. Kurt Tidd, the top U.S. military commander in Latin America and the Caribbean, said that "yes, we see that radicalization is occurring."
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