Posted on 12/10/2004 1:11:58 PM PST by nanak
December 10, 2004 — Last week’s arrest of a Bangladeshi immigrant trying to illegally enter the country has federal authorities concerned over the vulnerability of the U.S.-Mexico border to infiltration by terrorists.
Federal court records show Fakhrul Islam, age unknown, was arrested Dec. 4 with 13 other undocumented immigrants as they tried to pass through a wooded area east of Brownsville.
The records said a man later identified by Border Patrol agents as a member of the Mara Salvatruchas gang was traveling in the same group as Islam.
The Central American gang has alleged links to al-Qaida.
“This is alarming,” said U.S. Rep. Solomon P. Ortiz, D-Texas.
In a telephone interview Tuesday, Ortiz said the Central American gang members and terrorists are suspected of trying to blend in with Mexican or other immigrants trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border.
“We knew this was happening underground, but now it’s come to the surface,” he said.
Although Bangladesh is not listed as a nation that supports terrorism, Ortiz said the predominantly Muslim southern Asian nation is a “country of concern” for U.S. intelligence officials.
“It is a very poor country where many people earn as little as 65 cents a day,” Ortiz said. “The question I’m asking (officials) is, ‘How was he able to finance his way here?’”
Border Patrol officials did not return calls for comment Thursday, but a criminal complaint filed by an agent in federal court Tuesday said Islam admitted to wading across the Rio Grande.
He was charged with illegal entry into the country.
Court records show U.S. Magistrate Judge John William Black on Tuesday dismissed the illegal entry charge against Islam pending an FBI investigation.
Rosalie Savage with the FBI’s McAllen office said her agency does not disclose any information obtained through such interviews.
Although she could neither confirm nor deny an interview with Islam, she said FBI agents routinely interview certain people who have entered the country illegally from Mexico.
“Our agents try to learn who smuggled them, how much they paid, what route they took and if they know anybody on the FBI’s Most Wanted List,” she said.
Savage said agents do not treat immigration detainees any differently because of their nationality.
“We ask them all the same questions,” she said.
Islam was not charged with any other offenses and will remain in federal custody until he is deported and returned to Bangladesh, said Nancy Herrera, spokeswoman with the Houston office of the U.S. attorney’s Southern District of Texas.
Officials with the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington, D.C., could not be reached for comment by press time Thursday.
Ortiz said the U.S. intelligence bill that Congress passed this week would authorize the Border Patrol to double the number of agents over the next five years. President Bush still must sign the bill.
“The Border Patrol does a good job with (what) they have,” Ortiz said. “We need to give them the tools and the manpower they need.”
Valley Movement for Human Rights director Nathan Selzer criticized the link between Mara Salvatruchas and al-Qaida and said it has not been verified by a credible intelligence agency.
“This is fear mongering,” Selzer said. “What they’ve ignored is the need for the reform of immigration policy to make it to where a Bangladeshi or others wouldn’t have to cross with criminals or others.”
Bummer, I was hoping to get those guys to mow my lawn. Locals not interested in working.
I address this in grizzly detail in The Dragon's Fury Series.
We need to control that border. I have no problem with legal immigration...but with such rampant illegal entries...we leave ourselves open to infiltration by the enemy. And in a post 911 wolrd, that is an invitation for disaster IMHO.
Exactly. Even if he signed on as crew on some tramp freighter it takes money. Someone wanted this guy in the US enough to support him for the months it took to get here.
I still say put up warning signs. Then Shoot to Kill. You will have to do this only ONCE and the word will get out.
...and I know from my sources that INDIANS, PAKISTANIS and BANGLADESHIS pay anywhere from $40,000 up to $80,000 to get to The United States.
I don't think they are spending that kind of money to come here, be AMERICANS, and contribute and enrich our society.
No. Really? How come nothing was done about it in the new intel bill? Or Homeland Security bill?
The Central American gang has alleged links to al-Qaida."
HEEELLLLOOOOOOO WALL STREET JOURNAL!
While your average illegal border crosser is coming for work, guys named Islam associated with Al Qaeda swim in the same stream. You cannot halt terror without controlling borders. Regardless of your position on immigration, the only position regarding borders that opposes terrorism is:
CLOSE THE BORDERS TO ALL ILLEGALS.
Luckily for the WSJ folks and their families, they were approximately across the street from the World Trade Center. Will their blind adherence to immigration without regard to terror security mean that they are next?
Come now, folks. We can form a reasonable central ground that says illegal immigration is a terror threat, while immigration on a politically agreed upon scale (large or small, as approved by Congress [remember them?]) is okay.
Come down from your ivory tower you purists of both sides, and let's get something done on the border for terror security.
Did you notice the editorial in the WSJ this week? They hated the doubling of agents provision. Guess it's time to let my subscription go.
And the Wall Street Journal poo-poos the addition of 10,000 border patrol agents authorized by the new "intelligence reform" bill...
Nah, they're good guys. They are just wrong on this one issue.
And, their heart is in the right place; we are a country of immigrants, and we do need the labor. We just need full control of every human we choose to allow in.
Plus, you can make a lot of money reading the WSJ. Just ask Hillary! Seriously, though, Jonathan Clemens "Getting Going" column is worth 100X the subscription price.
I recommend you keep your subscription, and differ on this with them.
ping
2 layers of electric cattle fencing with 50 yards of landmines between should do the trick. Cheap, simple. and will keep critters like mule deer from being blown to bits.
That needs to change.
This is shocking, just shocking! Really? I mean, who knew?
Wrong on both counts.
Court records show U.S. Magistrate Judge John William Black on Tuesday dismissed the illegal entry charge against Islam pending an FBI investigation.
>>>
$%$ %* & %&^$@%$^ ^(*^ %^$@#% ^&(* ^%&^ #%$# %$#@ !$#@ &^%*&^#@%$!
What freaking war?
What the #$!@#$$%! #$!%!@#% $!@#$^%!#@% $!#$^ are these @#$$!% $%%! &%$*#@%!@ jackals in D.C. thinking??!!
TFTP
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