Federal law enforcement officials tasked with protecting America’s borders are warning that Iranian-backed terrorists may try to enter the U.S. illegally through the southern border.
The warning from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) San Diego Field Office Intelligence Unit (SDFO-FITU) comes after Hamas terrorists murdered more than 1,400 Israelis in terror attacks two weeks ago that were unprecedented in scale.
The intelligence bulletin says that “individuals inspired by, or reacting to, the current Israel-Hamas conflict may attempt travel to or from the area of hostilities in the Middle East via circuitous transit across the Southwest border.”
“Foreign fighters motivated by ideology or mercenary soldiers of fortune may attempt to obfuscate travel to or from the US to or from countries in the Middle East through Mexico,” the bulletin said.
Officials specifically included patches of three Islamic terrorist groups that are backed by Iran: Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah.
Officials warned that possible indicators for agents to watch for were military-aged males, military gear, insignia of terror groups, single travelers, no return plans, and those who have ties to the Middle East.
The bulletin directed agents to ascertain if any encountered suspects have any personal or familial association with Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PLFP), or any other similar groups.
NEW: Per CBP sources, CBP’s San Diego field office sent out this internal intel bulletin on Friday, alerting officers that Hamas, Hezbollah, & Palestinian Islamic Jihad foreign fighters inspired by the Israel conflict may be encountered at the U.S. southern border. Gives officers… pic.twitter.com/vBw5tv7lXg
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) October 23, 2023
The news comes after CBP revealed on Saturday that the agency encountered nearly 270,000 illegal aliens at the U.S. southern border for the month of September. The total — 269,735 illegal alien encounters — was the highest single-month total ever recorded.
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September’s numbers close out Fiscal Year 2023 with a total of 2,475,669 illegal alien encounters — the highest level recorded in U.S. history. President Joe Biden’s illegal immigration crisis on the southern border has worsened every year that he has been in office, with Fiscal Year 2022 having 2,378,944 encounters and Fiscal Year 2021 having 1,734,686 encounters.
The three fiscal years under Biden have seen a staggering 6,589,299 illegal alien encounters on the southern border.
However, those numbers do not include “known gotaways,” which refers to illegal aliens who are observed illegally entering the U.S. and are not apprehended.
The House Judiciary Committee said in a report earlier this month that there have been 1.7 million known gotaways that have escaped into the U.S. during the Biden era. CBP sources told Fox News that they believe the number is around 1.6 million “known gotaways.”
Additionally, 169 illegal aliens on the terrorist watchlist were arrested in Fiscal Year 2023, bringing the total number arrested under Biden to 282.
During the Biden era, federal agents have encountered 72,823 “special interest aliens” attempting to enter the country illegally. “Special interest aliens” are illegal aliens who come from countries that are considered breeding grounds for terrorism.
When factoring in the 1.6-1.7 million known gotaways into the equation, the number of illegal aliens who have entered the U.S. jumps to potentially over 8 million. Some illegal aliens enter the country multiple times and are apprehended.