DALLAS — Texas' top homeland security official said Wednesday that terrorists with ties to Hezbollah, Hamas and al-Qaida have been arrested crossing the Texas border with Mexico in recent years.
"Has there ever been anyone linked to terrorism arrested?" Texas Homeland Security Director Steve McCraw said in a speech to the North Texas Crime Commission. "Yes, there was." His remarks appear to be among the most specific on the topic of terrorism arrests along the Texas-Mexico border. Local and elected officials have alluded to this happening but have been short on details.
Leticia Zamarripa, a spokeswoman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in El Paso, said Wednesday she was unaware of any border arrests of people with terrorist ties. An ICE spokeswoman in San Antonio did not return phone messages left by The Associated Press. U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Lloyd M. Easterling was unable to comment.
However, McCraw's remarks are similar to those made recently by National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell, who last month told the El Paso Times that a small number of people with known links to terrorist organizations have been caught crossing the border. McCraw identified the most notable figure captured as Farida Goolam Mahomed Ahmed, who was arrested in July 2004 at the McAllen airport. She carried $7,300 in various currencies and a South African passport with pages missing. Federal officials later learned she waded across the Rio Grande.
After her arrest, U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a release saying she was wanted for questioning about the bombing of a U.S. Consulate office, jibing with similar statements from a U.S. congressman. But the department quickly retracted the terrorism connection, calling it "inaccurate on several levels." Michael Shelby, then the U.S. attorney in Houston, said in January 2005 that any suggestion Ahmed was involved in terrorism "is in error."
According to federal court records, Ahmed pleaded guilty to improper entry by an alien, making a false statement and false use of a passport. She was sentenced to time served and deported to South Africa. Other details of the case were sealed. But on Wednesday, McCraw described Ahmed as having ties to an insurgent group in Pakistan and whose specialty was smuggling Afghanis and other foreign nationals across the border. U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Michael Friel could not confirm details about Ahmed on Wednesday.
McCraw also said that since March 2006, 347 people from what he called "terrorism-related countries" have been arrested crossing the border in Texas. The number of Iraqis captured at the border has tripled since last year, he said. "A porous border without question is a national security threat," he said.
Terrorism isn't the only concern for homeland security officials in Texas, McCraw said. The state's size, population and geography make it susceptible to all sorts of disasters, both natural and man-made. Emergency responders must also be prepared for natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and wildfires, he said. The state has made significant strides in emergency planning since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and Hurricane Rita, McCraw said. Plans include cooperating with large private companies, including grocery stores, Wal-Mart and the oil industry, to help the state respond during disasters. "This is not a shot at FEMA, but we can't depend on FEMA to protect Texas," McCraw said. "The governor's mandate has made it clear: If those buses don't come, we better have our own buses. If that food doesn't come,we better have our own food. If that water doesn't come, we better have our own water to take care of Texas."
Interesting. Thanks for the ping, your posts. Great thread. BTTT!
I want to know how many foreigners who are merely citizens of threat nations have been intercepted? How many Syrians, Iranians, Iraqis, Saudis, Egyptians, Libyans, Somalis, etc have been caught? Take that number and figure it represents about 10%. That's the stat generated by the Border Patrol right after 911. They figured they were intercepting about 10% of those crossing the border daily. Of that number 10% were from countries considered to present a terrorist threat to this nation. Now, figure the numbers that are brought in for a substantial fee in by professional so called "coyote" smugglers. These groups have strong ties to formal "established" organized crime groups and newer upstart violent gangs like MS13.
Folks, how many illegals who cross the border and pay a coyote $50K are doing such so that they can come to the land of milk and honey and work in a 7-11? Based on the Border Patrols own figures (this was relayed to me by a Congressional Staffer -- so I don't have a link) there is the potential for about 70,000 terrorists to be lurking inside our borders right now.
Of course, not ALL of them are going to be actual terrorists sent by Hamas, Hezbollah or AQ. But a healthy chunk will be. They may have designated targets and be formed as cells. Each cell will have a certain number of "Operators" who will execute the mission. The other parts of the cell will be logistics, financial and security folks. Figure the size of a cell formally schooled in "tradecraft" will be about 10 folks, at the most. Of course for security, no cell will have any details on the existence of any other cells.
There may be large numbers lone gunmen who won't have a designated target but may be waiting for a unique "GO CODE" to take out targets of opportunity.
We're fighting the war on terror overseas. It was really begun here at home on Sept 11th 2001. It has yet to move into a phase of extended operations here on home soil. But that is coming. Sure as shootin.' I'm afraid that Americans are going to see the face of war up close and personal. The way the Israelis and the British have seen it for many decades. When our time of reckoning comes, we'll see if we've become a nation of sheep herded by our DEMOCRAT Shepherds or Sheepdogs who act on their own initiative to stop the wolves as the sheep bleat in fear.