Two Iranian nationals were captured at the southern border in the past two weeks, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). This is the latest in a series of incidents involving individuals tied to terrorism being apprehended amid the ongoing border crisis.
The discovery comes amid a heated war between Israel and Hamas, which began when the terrorist group launched a surprise attack on the Jewish state. This revelation, along with calls from a Hamas leader to commit violence across the world, could be cause for alarm as the situation in the Middle East intensifies.
Two Iranians who are “raising red flags that they could pose a significant security threat” have been captured over the past two weeks at the American border, sources with U.S. Customs and Border Protection tell Fox News.
The identities of both Iranians appeared on the Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB), the sources confirmed.
Meanwhile, an Iranian man in his 40s was taken into custody around 3 a.m. Sunday in Eagle Pass, Texas, becoming the fourth individual from the country to be captured since Oct. 1 in the Del Rio sector.
In fiscal year 2023, which began at the start of last October, there were 151 total hits on the TSDB through the period ending on Aug. 31.
That figure is more than the total of the previous six fiscal years combined.
In the first two weeks of this fiscal year, the CBP sources told Fox News that agents have apprehended more than 30 Iranians, nearly 60 Syrians, 35 Pakistanis, more than 100 Russians, 285 Afghans and nearly 2,000 Chinese migrants at the southern border.
The Homeland Security Department warned in its 2024 Homeland Threat Assessment report that “an increasing amount of people on the U.S. terrorist watch list are being encountered at the border,” and also noted that “terrorists and criminal actors may exploit the elevated flow and increasingly complex security environment to enter the United States.”
With terrorist groups like Hezbollah having a strong presence in Latin America, it is not difficult to see how some of its operatives could sneak across the border as CBP is stretched thin dealing with the constant influx of asylum seekers and illegal immigrants trying to gain entry into the U.S.
FBI Director Christopher Wray acknowledged the threat, urging Americans to remain vigilant due to the risk of “lone offenders or small group attacks that occur with little warning.”
Of course, for those who favor open borders, it might be easy to write this off as fearmongering. After all, most of those crossing the southern border – legally or illegally – are seeking refuge from dire conditions in their home countries, or just looking for a better life. However, given Homeland Security’s admission about the growing number of terrorism-tied individuals showing up at the southern border, it is clear that this situation warrants concern.
Indeed, Republican lawmakers and leaders have ramped up criticism against the Biden administration for failing to employ actual solutions to handle the problem. Now, the issue seems even more urgent given the situation in the Middle East. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Tim Scott (R-SC) have called out the White House over the issue.
The Biden Administration needs to do something about our border before foreign adversaries send their recruits across it and endanger national security. pic.twitter.com/0tRz1ZZtsj
— Senator Marco Rubio (@SenMarcoRubio) October 13, 2023
.@FoxNews:
— Tim Scott (@SenatorTimScott) October 16, 2023
“2 Iranians who 'could pose a significant security threat' captured at US border”
It’s time the Biden administration recognizes that border security is national security.https://t.co/yhCxn938wb
So where does that leave us? The southern border remains a Gordian Knot of humanitarian, economic, and now, national security concerns. While both sides quibble over how to deal with the border crisis, the fact remains that our broken immigration system is leaving potential gaps when it comes to protecting national security. If there was ever a time for the Biden administration to step up, that time is clearly now.
That’s what the Demonrats want.