The migrant crisis at the Southern border paired with the escalating conflict in the Middle East has many fearing whether another terrorist attack will soon hit home. Recently, federal officials shared a warning that I’m sure many Americans already have known about for some time.
Federal officials have recently issued a memo warning of possible encounters with members of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and Hezbollah at the southern border. After an attack on hundreds of civilians by Hamas in October, there is a heightened concern for individuals attempting to travel through the area.
Border Patrol has already seen an increase in illegal immigration and terror watchlist encounters, raising further worries about potential terrorists seeking to enter or leave the United States undetected.
Feds warn that Hamas, Hezbollah could be crossing southern border https://t.co/yAfyX3E4sm
— Bo Snerdley (@BoSnerdley) October 22, 2023
The San Diego Field Office Intelligence Division released an internal memo on October 20th cautioning that foreign fighters or mercenaries could be using Mexico as a way to cross into or out from the Middle East without detection. To combat this issue, CBP outlined indicators that people should look for such as military-aged males and lone travelers with ties to the region.
In addition, they listed questions meant to discern if individuals had any connections with terrorist organizations like Hamas, Hezbollah or PIJ. The report also noted that there has been an alarming uptick in terror watchlist encounters since fiscal year 2022 when 98 illegal aliens were encountered versus 172 in fiscal year 2023.
With these warnings from federal officials and continued influxes at both northern and southern borders, it is more important than ever to ensure border security and prevent terrorists from entering our country illegally.
As such, we need increased surveillance efforts so that anyone attempting transit across borders can be identified quickly and apprehended accordingly. By having adequate personnel patrolling areas where foreign fighters might try making their way into the United States undetected we can help protect our citizens and ensure peace within our borders moving forward.
