HELENA, Mont. — U.S. Border Patrol agents say they have arrested an Afghan military officer who deserted while participating in a training program in the U.S.
Agent Craig Duff says Mustafa Tanin was arrested Tuesday on a Washington state-bound Amtrak train that had stopped to refuel in Havre, Montana.
Duff says Tanin initially told the agents that he was from Mongolia.
The Border Patrol says Tanin was attending military training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. He deserted Sept. 29 while on a trip to Washington, D.C.
Duff says a second Afghan military official deserted with Tanin, but he does not know the status of that person.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are holding Tanin in Great Falls. Border Patrol agent Melissa Hart says he will face deportation proceedings in Salt Lake City.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
