Foreign National Apprehended at Texas Border Claims Membership in Terrorist Organization and Intends to Build a Bomb
Federal law enforcement agencies have initiated an investigation following a report by the U.S. Border Patrol of a man’s apprehension at the Texas border who confessed to being a member of a foreign terrorist organization and expressed his intention to construct a bomb within the United States.
According to an internal memo obtained by The New York Post from the U.S. Border Patrol, officials documented the apprehension of a Lebanese national named Basel Bassel Ebbadi at the El Paso Border Patrol Sector on March 9. The memo discloses that after making threats to border personnel, Ebbadi was questioned by a tactical terrorist response team.
The memo states, “Ebbadi was checked by medical staff and was asked what he was doing here in the US. Ebbadi replied, ‘I’m going to try to make a bomb’.”
The individual is currently under U.S. Customs and Border Protection custody. A source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to News Finder that a federal investigation was ongoing.
The US Customs and Border Protection issued the following statement: “If an individual poses a potential threat to national security or public safety, we deny admission, detain, remove, or refer them to other federal agencies for further vetting, investigation and/or prosecution as appropriate.”
CBP belongs to the Department of Homeland Security, which prescreens and vets individuals prior to their entry into the United States, monitors intelligence and law enforcement information to identify threats, and cooperates closely with the FBI.
The increase in “known or suspected terrorists” (KSTs) attempting to cross into the United States from the southern border has been a concern over the past five years, according to FBI Director Christopher Wray. During his testimony before the House Intelligence Committee last week, he stated, “We have seen over the last, I think, five years an increase in the number of KSTs attempting to cross the southern border.”
However, it is important to note that not all individuals encountered at the border who appear on the terror watchlist are actual terrorists. In a given year, the number of individuals with records on the terror watchlist who attempt to enter or travel to the United States through the southern border is minimal and represents a tiny fraction of the total number of known or suspected terrorists.
When federal authorities process migrants at the border, they take biometric data such as fingerprints and facial scans, and examine individuals through certain law enforcement databases for any red flags. Certain information like the migrant’s place of origin may trigger additional screening.
If there is no derogatory information about a person in US databases, then the migrant is released pending an immigration court date.
The recently published Annual Threat Assessment report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence does not mention the risk of known or suspected terrorists attempting to enter the United States through the southern border specifically.
Border security and the migrant crisis are pressing concerns among voters in this election cycle, with Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump recently visiting Texas border communities on the same day. Some Texas mayors are growing weary of the political squabbling between their state and federal governments.
