House Republicans are demanding answers over reports that the Nicolás Maduro regime in Venezuela has been releasing violent criminals from prison and sending them toward the U.S. in migrant caravans.
On Thursday, over a dozen House Republicans sent a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas questioning if there are any protocols to secure the border from the released criminals reportedly heading toward the border, Fox News reported.
“America’s adversaries despise what our country stands for and are now sending their most dangerous individuals to our borders, where they will have no trouble getting in as a result of the Biden Administration’s failed immigration policies. Our overworked border patrol agents can only do so much for so long without your help,” the Republicans wrote in the letter.
Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX) led the effort and was joined by 13 of his colleagues, including Texas Reps. Chip Roy, Lance Gooden, and Louie Gohmert. Rep Jim Banks (R-IN), chair of the Republican Study Committee, also signed on to the letter.
The Republicans asked if the Biden administration has any details on the number of released prisoners believed to be heading toward the U.S., if there are any prisoners already in the country, and additional information on the amount of Venezuelans who have been apprehended at the border this year.
“This bombshell report confirms what we’ve known for years,” Nehls said, referencing the initial report from Breitbart. “Our adversaries despise what America stands for and take pride in emptying their prisons filled with the most violent and sick individuals to walk the earth and send them to our southern border, where they know they’ll have no trouble getting in.”
According to statistics from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, there were over 53,000 unique encounters at the southern border with migrants from Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua in August.
A source told Breitbart that even when a migrant from Venezuela was detained, it was difficult to determine whether someone had been convicted of a crime or not because of a lack of records in Venezuela.
Rep. Carlos A. Giménez (R-FL), who also signed on to the letter, pinned the blame for the influx of border crossings on the Biden administration.
“The Biden Administration’s disastrous border policies contribute to unvetted criminals coming in, young children being trafficked by smugglers, billions in monthly profits to the cartels, and the influx of fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances pouring into our country,” he said.