Border Patrol agents are stretched thin dealing with illegal immigrants voluntarily surrendering—so being on the lookout for terrorists is a daunting task.
A warning circulated internally among officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) warns that terrorists associated with the Israel-Hamas war may try to cross into the United States from Mexico, sources have confirmed with The Epoch Times.
The warning comes as the number of illegal immigrant ‘gotaways’ has dramatically increased.
“I think it’s too little too late to start worrying about [Hamas terrorists] trying to cross the border when you’ve already reported an estimated 2 million gotaways, and you don’t have any idea who those people are that have come into this country,” Clint McDonald, Executive Director of the Southwestern Border Sheriffs Coalition told The Epoch Times.
“So now to start throwing out fear after you’ve opened the border is ridiculous.”
More than 18,000 people have eluded Border Patrol agents while sneaking across the U.S.-Mexico border since Oct. 1, according to a post from Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens on X.
Over 18K known gotaways in the first 16 days of FY24. These are individuals whose identities & purpose we do not know. That is why you need every Border Patrol agent to be in the field and on patrol. pic.twitter.com/uQlRgR76HQ
— Chief Jason Owens (@USBPChief) October 17, 2023
“Over 18K known gotaways in the first 16 days of FY24. These are individuals whose identities & purpose we do not know. That is why you need every Border Patrol agent to be in the field and on patrol,” he wrote.
On his podcast, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) warned that the heightened number of gotaways is a major national security concern.
“If you were a terrorist, if you wanted to commit jihad, there is an obvious way to do that … If you’re a terrorist who wants to murder Americans, the way to do it is to cross over our southern border because these idiots in the White House will let you go, and they’re not enforcing the border, and it’s not hard to be a gotaway,” Mr. Cruz said.
“I think it is indisputable, the risk of a terror attack today is greater than it has ever been since 9/11,” he said.
By Joe Gomez
