Missing Afghan officers found outside Canada

Three Afghan National Army officers who vanished during a military exercise in Massachusetts over the weekend are now in custody after a possible attempt to cross the border into Canada, The Associated Press reported.

Federal authorities are interviewing the officers near Rainbow Bridge at Niagara Falls, N.Y., a state police spokesman told the news agency. He did not provide further details, though it is possible the trio was trying to seek asylum.

It is unclear if the men will be sent back to Joint Base Cape Cod, where they arrived on Sept. 11 to participate in a U.S. Central Command Regional Cooperation training exercise, or returned somewhere else.

{mosads}The officers were last seen Saturday at a shopping mall in Hyannis, Mass., during a day off from the international effort, which features 200 soldiers and civilians from several countries.

Central Command, along with the Massachusetts State Police, the FBI and the National Guard had been searching for the missing men.

Military officials said they did not consider the men a threat to the public.