FBI: Iraqis Being Smuggled Across the Rio Grande

ABC ^ | July 17, 2007 3:11 PM | Brian Ross

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Brian Ross Reports:

The FBI is investigating an alleged human smuggling operation based in Chaparral, N.M., that agents say is bringing "Iraqis and other Middle Eastern" individuals across the Rio Grande from Mexico.

An FBI intelligence report distributed by the Washington, D.C. Joint Terrorism Task Force, obtained by the Blotter on ABCNews.com, says the illegal ring has been bringing Iraqis across the border illegally for more than a year.

Border Patrol officials in the area said they were unaware of the specifics of the FBI's report, and federal prosecutors in New Mexico told ABCNews.com they had no current cases involving the illegal smuggling of Iraqis.

The FBI report, issued last week, says the smuggling organization "used to smuggle Mexicans, but decided to smuggle Iraqi or other Middle Eastern individuals because it was more lucrative." Each individual would be charged a fee of $20,000 to $25,000, according to the report.

The people to be smuggled would "gather at a house on the Mexican side of the border" and then cross the Rio Grande into the U.S., the report says.

[kinoxi]

Pretty much. I agree with 90 percent of his policies but the border issue is criminal negligence on his part. Enough to destroy any legacy he might have had IMO. I only hope the electorate gets their way soon.

[Rogle]

And just think NM is a Sanctuary State thanks to Gov. Richardson!!

NM Ping

[absolootezer0]

why? they’ve been reporting finding various arabian language items for months.

[evets]

USA or bust...

[paul51]

The FBI report, issued last week, says the smuggling organization "used to smuggle Mexicans, but decided to smuggle Iraqi or other Middle Eastern individuals because it was more lucrative." Each individual would be charged a fee of $20,000 to $25,000, according to the report

I hope we are putting enough water out in the desert for them

[wolfcreek]

To make matters worse, Chaparral,NM appears to be on the Ft. Bliss Military Installation.

[jpl]

Am I the only becoming more and more skeptical of these government reports put out through conduits like ABC's Brian Ross?

If Al Qaeda in Iraq is really preparing to attack us, and Iraqis are really being smuggled across the border, wouldn't you expect the government to bend over backwards to actually SEAL THE BORDER? I've never seen cognitive dissonance on this level. It makes no sense whatsoever.

[Anonymous Rex]

What do you think is more likely, that the FBI and CIA have cooked up some elaborate plot to make Bush and Co. look bad or that terrorists really are using the porous southern border supplied to them courtesy of Bush and Co. to come here and do us harm?

[AuntB]

Here’s some others.

(2005) http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0411/16/ldt.01.html DOBBS: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is warning of the threat of terrorists entering this country through the same routes as those used by illegal aliens. Secretary Rumsfeld, traveling in South America, warned that enemies look for weaknesses and take advantage of them.

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: The risk is that some of these human-smuggling routes into our country from this hemisphere could be used just as easily for terrorists.

DOBBS: And three million illegal aliens are estimated to be entering this country this year.

Secretary Rumsfeld also said the United States has to be, as he put it, smarter and quicker in securing our borders. The federal government’s failure to secure those borders is leading individual states to take action. Arizona’s Proposition 200, which limits state benefits for illegals, passed overwhelmingly two weeks ago. Now at least half a dozen other states are considering similar measures.

Consider the following 5 statements by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson given at a Senate Floor Speech 16 March 2005 to President George.W. Bush (page S 2828).

1. “In Detroit, Mahmoud Youssef Kourani was indicted in the Eastern District of Michigan on one count of conspiracy to provide material support to Hezbollah. Kourani was already in custody for entering the country illegally through Mexico and was involved in fund raising activities on behalf of Hezbollah.”

2. “...the capture of terrorist suspect Jose Padilla. The Justice Department says Padilla and an accomplice planned to enter the United States through Mexico to blow up apartment buildings in major cities such as New York.”

3. “Or the case of suspected al-Qaida sleeper agent Mohammed Junaid Babar, who told investigators of a scheme to smuggle terrorists across the Mexican border. He is tied to a terror plot to carry out bombings and assassinations in London.”

4. “Intelligence reports suggesting that 25 Chechen terrorism suspects have illegally entered the United States from Mexico have refocused attention on a porous border from which many believe the next major attack on Americans could come.”

5. “Also last July, an Egyptian man United States authorities described as one of their most wanted smugglers of humans was arrested on charges of operating a ring that illegally brought people from Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries to the United States. The indictment says Abdallah and his associates would direct people seeking to reach the United States to travel to one of several Latin American countries, and from there to Guatemala. They would then be transported to America through Mexico in return for payments of thousands of dollars in smuggling fees.”

It is blatantly obvious even to the most casual reader that Islamic terrorists have been, and continue to, cross the U.S./Mexico border into America.

http://www.rlsinternationalsecurity.com/sites/southernborder.html

Mexican border as a terror risk | csmonitor.com WASHINGTON – Concern is growing at the top levels of government about the US-Mexican border becoming a back door for terrorists entering the United States. ... www.csmonitor.com/2005/0322/p01s01-uspo.html

Al-Qaida Operative Nabbed Near Mexican Border An al-Qaida operative who was on the FBI’s terrorist watch list was recently captured near the Mexican border, housed in a Texas jail and turned over to ... www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/11/20/151654.shtml

Chechen terrorists probed - The Washington Times: Nation/Politics ... ... terrorists illegally entered the United States from Mexico in July. ... Middle Eastern men were recently caught trying to cross the border from Mexico. ... washingtontimes.com/national/20041013-121643-5028r.htm

Texas Sheriffs Say Terrorists Entering US from Mexico — 08/21/2006 The Texas Sheriffs’ Border Coalition believes those individuals are likely terrorists and that drug cartels and some members of the Mexican military are ... www.cnsnews.com/ViewSpecialReports.asp?Page=/SpecialReports/archive/200608/SPE20060821a.html

Suspected terrorists are hiding inside the U.S. and they got here by sneaking across the Mexican border. What we’ve been reporting for more than a year has ... www.newschannel5.tv/2006/11/2/30781/-Al-Qaeda-Leader—Materials-Smuggled-Across-Border- - 14k - May 20, 2007

DailyBulletin.com - Of special interest “Intelligence indicates that terrorist organizations are increasingly probing the U.S.-Mexico border,” El Paso County Sheriff Leo Samaniego told the House ... www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_4917114

Hezbollah builds a Western base - Nightly News with Brian Williams ... The CIA singles out the Mexican border as an especially inviting target for ... Since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the Tri-border has become a ... www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17874369/

Bordering On Nukes? | TIME The Mexican border will get a closer look ... discuss border security and smuggling rings that could be used to slip al-Qaeda terrorists into the country. ... www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101041122-782068,00.html

cbs11tv.com - Texas Border Vulnerable To Terrorists Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, arrests of Special Interest Aliens have increased forty-one percent along the Texas/Mexico border and ... cbs11tv.com/topstories/local_story_297214049.html

While security fears stoke support for barrier, wall’s merits for ... For one thing, they said, none of the terrorists known to have committed or tried to commit acts of violence on U.S. soil came across the Mexican border. ... www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/02/26/MNGTLGQ25E129.DTL

Al Qaeda seeks tie to local gangs - The Washington Times: Nation ... ... in the Washington area — in an effort by the terrorist network to seek help infiltrating the US-Mexico border, law enforcement authorities said. www.washtimes.com/national/20040928-123346-3928r.htm

Organized Crime and Terrorist Activity in Mexico, 1999-2002 Criminal and Terrorist Activity in Mexico. 3. INTRODUCTION. Since 1999, trans-border criminal organizations based in Mexico have adapted to meet a ... www.loc.gov/rr/frd/pdf-files/OrgCrime_Mexico.pdf

FIRE Coalition U.S.-Mexican Border as a Terror Risk: Recent intelligence gives the most evidence yet of terrorist plans. Lawmakers push for tighter security. ... www.firecoalition.com/bordersecterr.shtml

[azhenfud]

This was reported to have been happening over a year ago.

[Weeedley]

The open borders crowd is paying more attention to lowering their factory payrolls and that will last until the said factories get dirty bombed.

[TLI]

None appeared on terrorist watch lists, and they told authorities they were Chaldean Christians trying to get to California were they would request asylum, an immigration official said.

Some may be legit asylum seekers but this has been going on for a lot longer than a year and the only real question is not if any are but how many are terrorist cell members.

When these guys strike I will be one cranky American, it being a I-told-you-so situation. If the US Government responds to such a terrorest strike in the usual manor with more airport "security," more proposed gun bans "for our safety" more restrictions of the rights of American Citizens I am going to be one v-e-r-y pizzed off American.

It’s about time Americans went to Universal Open Carry. We are going to need it.

To hell with the safety Nazis. Safety is not freedom or winning.

[AuntB]

See post # 29 . This has been going on for a long time. ABC is just late to the game.

[eleni121]

You are right...there have been reports of Christians seeking to escape the Muslim terror and of course being Christian they cannot get refugee asylum...we only allow in insane Somali muslims legally!

[Weeedley]

Just in time to spruce up the concentration camps that held Japanese in WWII that we also didn't have the manpower to watch 24-7

[twonie]

Is it 2009 yet? And if not, why not!

[txhurl]

My boss does all the time. I should start taking him up on his invites. And he’s an accountant! :o

[johnny7]

Since 1993... we could have had enough middle-eastern illegals cross our borders to stage a al Qaeda, night-of-the-living-dead!

[Diogenesis]

[kinoxi]

Remember the FBI and CIA are complicit in many anti-Republican plots. Gorelick, Plame et all.

It's a conspiracy. I see. They made me think this. It makes perfect sense. They seem to have found a way to infiltrate my tinfoil cranial device so I'm stuck with burying my head in the sand until the Alpha Centari's deliver their alloy. Please keep me informed. ;)