Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced on April 5 that they had apprehended two Yemeni men who are on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Terrorism Watch List attempting to cross into the United States illegally.
A 33-year-old Yemeni man was apprehended on January 29 and a 26-year-old, also from Yemen, was arrested on March 30. Both men were apprehended near the Calexico Port of Entry and are on the FBI’s Terrorism Watch List and No-Fly list. According to a CBP press release, the first man was handed over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the second is being held in federal custody pending removal.
In the since-deleted press release, Chief Patrol Agent Gregory K. Bovino stated “These apprehensions at our border illustrate the importance of our mission and how we can never stop being vigilant in our everyday mission to protect this great country.”
A CBP spokesperson said that the release was removed due to “certain disclosure and policy information related to national security.” But many Republican officials are criticizing the administration for a lack of transparency.
The Biden administration claims that such apprehensions are uncommon and even tried to downplay the real and present terrorist threat at the southern border But the data suggest otherwise.
There have been five known illegal aliens (including the two men detailed above) with names on the terror watch list apprehended since October, four aliens from Yemen and one from Serbia. In addition, there have been 6,462 criminal aliens encountered from October to February, 697 of whom had outstanding wants or warrants.
The numbers for both criminal aliens and those with ties to terrorism are likely much higher as it is estimated that 1,000 migrants a day evade Border Patrol and enter the United States unencumbered. In some sectors, it is estimated that one-in-three illegal aliens get away. While it is impossible to know exactly, it is believed that at least 130,000 illegal aliens have evaded apprehension since the start of this fiscal year, and that number continues to rise.
Thankfully, due to the diligent work of CBP, despite being overwhelmed by the current crisis, these men were unable to enter the United States and carry out any heinous act. However, what is to stop them from trying to re-enter or any other terrorist for that matter?
President Biden’s de facto open borders create a welcome sign to economic migrants and bad actors alike, especially when little to no enforcement is being carried out due to the catch and release policy. This administration continues to put Americans last and place our safety at risk all while trying to sweep the crisis under the rug.