Counterterrorism chief Abizaid says no indicators terror teams are exploiting porous U.S. borders
A high Biden administration safety official advised Congress on Wednesday that she has seen no proof that overseas terrorist teams try to sneak operatives into the U.S. by the southern border.
National Counterterrorism Center Director Christine Abizaid stated the border with Mexico has a “vulnerability” however terrorist networks don’t seem like exploiting it.
“As we look at the global terrorism environment, as we look at foreign terrorist organizations’ intentions to try and seed operatives into the United States, we don’t have indications that are credible or corroborated that those terrorist organizations are trying to do that at this time,” she advised the House Homeland Security Committee throughout a listening to on threats to the U.S.
Republicans fumed over her testimony and the administration’s reluctance to inform Congress a lot in regards to the sheer variety of folks on the terrorist watchlist that the Border Patrol is catching.
“Who are they? Is Hamas on the list?” stated Rep. Michael McCaul, Texas Republican and chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Ms. Abizaid, FBI Director Christopher A. Wray and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who additionally testified Wednesday, wouldn’t say.
Mr. Wray stated he does fear in regards to the massive variety of “gotaways” — migrants who evade the Border Patrol altogether — and who may be hiding amongst that inhabitants, which is estimated to high 2 million for the reason that begin of the Biden administration.
“I think anytime you have a group of people in the United States who we don’t know nearly enough about, that is a source of concern for us,” he stated.
Mr. Wray stated the FBI is trying to find some border crossers in terrorism investigations.
“There are certainly individuals that are the subject of terrorism investigations that we are searching for,” he stated.
New focus
The concentrate on terrorist actors exploiting the porous U.S. border has come into higher focus after the murderous Oct. 7 sneak assault by Palestinian Hamas militants on Israel, which killed an estimated 1,400 Israelis and overseas nationals and captured greater than 200 hostages.
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, Tennessee Republican, challenged Mr. Wray particularly about whether or not Hamas operatives could possibly be amongst those that have evaded seize. The FBI chief demurred however stated the border is a “great concern.”
Until final yr, officers on the Homeland Security Department didn’t even publicize the variety of folks on the terrorism watchlist who have been caught by border authorities, saying it was too delicate.
The division relented within the spring and now reviews the broad figures every month. Data launched Tuesday confirmed that Border Patrol brokers caught 12 terrorism suspects on the southern border and one on the northern border in October. That’s on high of 172 detected in fiscal 2023, 98 in 2022 and 16 in 2021. The complete for the reason that starting of 2021 is 299.
From 2017 by 2020, beneath President Trump, the entire was simply 14 — 11 on the southern border and three on the northern border.
Congressional Republicans have been prodding Mr. Mayorkas to say who the terrorism suspects are and what occurred to them, and so they complain that the homeland safety chief has stonewalled them.
Mr. Mayorkas has stated publicly that individuals on the terrorism watchlist “may not necessarily be known or suspected terrorists.” When somebody caught does present up within the Terrorist Screening Dataset, he stated, they’re thought-about “an enforcement priority for us.”
“If we make a determination that it would not be safe to the American people that they be released into the United States, we detain them pending their removal,” he advised senators in a separate listening to final week.
On Wednesday, he indicated that some had been detained, and he promised particulars in one other format — presumably a reference to a labeled setting.
The Homeland Security Department says a number of the rise in terrorism suspect apprehensions is a results of the surge in unlawful immigration from South America. Armed insurgencies such because the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, often known as FARC, have been designated as terrorist teams, so members of these teams could also be exhibiting up on the watchlist.
Risks and intentions
Ms. Abizaid, the counterterrorism chief, stated her company is concerned in placing folks on the watchlist and there may be “absolutely a risk” that they may attempt to enter the U.S. by the border. Yet she stated officers on the counterterrorism workplace don’t see “intentions” by the key terrorist networks to use it.
“That doesn’t mean we’re complacent, and it is a risk we monitor,” Ms. Abizaid stated.
Mr. Wray, although, pointed to a case his brokers introduced towards a person accused of making an attempt to smuggle an Islamic State hit group into the U.S. to assassinate former President George W. Bush.
Shihab Ahmed Shihab Shihab has pleaded responsible to trying to offer materials assist for terrorists. His sentencing is slated for February.
According to courtroom paperwork, an FBI informant who labored with Shihab stated he bragged about smuggling two Hezbollah figures into the U.S., charging them $50,000 every.
Later within the listening to, Mr. Wray stated FBI brokers are trying to find particular individuals who got here throughout the border, however that doesn’t essentially imply they have been flagged on the watchlist.
“One of the areas we are of concern is individuals who, once here, information later comes in,” he stated.
