The brothers, aged 32 and 33, were born in Michigan and were arrested near the Algerian border.
They claimed to be in the North African country studying computer science at the University of Jendouba, according to a Tunisian Interior Ministry spokesman.
TunisiaLive reported that neighbors in the area where the brothers were renting a house alerted police to suspicious behavior. An investigation revealed that the two men were not students, but instead recent converts to Islam who had jihadist materials on their computers and wanted Tunisia to be placed under sharia law. They were described as unwashed and heavily bearded.
Other reports show their laptops contained calls to Jihad and plans to blow up several institutions, and that both men had stamps from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in their passports.
One of the brothers recently married a Tunisian woman from Borj Louzir, Ariana. The marriage is considered "urfi," meaning a religious marriage not recognized by the Tunisian government. The wife was arrested in Lafeyette,Tunis, on Tuesday afternoon.
Daesh-affiliated gunmen conducted several major attacks in Tunisia last year, and the country has had difficulty keeping militants coming from Libya at bay.
After being detained in Jendouba, the men are set to appear in court, according to the Interior official.
