A coalition of former FBI officials has warned of “new and imminent danger” to the United States at its southern border, suggesting the country has been “invaded” by military-age foreign nationals.
In a letter sent last week to Congressional leaders in the House and Senate, the retired officials “expressed concern about the current and specific threat that may be one of the most pernicious in history to threaten the United States.” .
“The United States faces new and imminent dangers,” the letter warns, highlighting what officials say is the threat of invasion at its southern border. More than 302,000 migrants were encountered at the southern border in December, after a record number of migrants in fiscal year 2023. Encounter with 2.4 million immigrants.
“In modern history, the United States has never experienced a homeland invasion, and now one is underway,” they say. “Older military personnel from around the world, from countries and regions unfriendly to the United States, are landing on our soil in waves by the thousands – landing from ships and parachuting from planes. Rather than descending, they are crossing the sea on foot. This border, which is accurately advertised around the world, is largely unprotected and allows easy access.”
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Immigrants, primarily from Venezuela, move to Eagle Pass, Texas, on September 20, 2023. (Fox News)
The 10 officials include former FBI Deputy Directors Kevin Bullock and Chris Swecker, former Terrorist Screening Center Director Timothy Healy, and former acting Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark Morgan (former FBI Superintendent). ) is included.
Lawmakers have noted that large numbers of immigrants are being released into the country, but federal officials have repeatedly insisted that immigrants are only released after a multi-layered vetting process and background and biometric checks. There is.
They also cite the number of fugitives, estimated to have exceeded 800,000 last year, and encounters with people on the FBI's terrorist watch list. FBI Director Christopher Wray has also expressed concern about who is evading border security.
But the Biden administration also said there is now greater awareness of the border and that the holidays have been a decades-old problem for the country.
“Thanks to the investments this Congress has made to the Border Patrol and CBP as a whole, we have more situational awareness than ever before,” Border Patrol Secretary Raul Ortiz said last March.
Former officials have expressed concern, especially in light of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
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“It's harsh to say that, but the fact that we have a large number of young men within our borders who could emulate 10/7 and start attacking gatherings of unarmed civilians at the behest of a foreign terrorist group… “may have to be considered a distinct problem,'' they wrote.
“It would be remiss not to address this potentially grave threat in the most direct terms. Warning lights are flashing.”
They warn that some of those arriving at the border are from terrorism-linked areas or geopolitical adversaries such as China and Russia.
“For these reasons, elements of this recent surge are unlikely to be coincidental or coincidental. They say they are potential perpetrators of what appear to be strategic intrusions, or soft invasions, “to inflict devastating damage should an adversary deem it necessary.''
They are encouraging Congress and other federal leaders to take action and pay more attention to the threat.
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“This country has been invaded, and the invasion will continue as long as the country's enemies perceive it as acceptable,” they say.
The letter was written at a time when border security has become a top political issue. Republicans blame the immigration crisis on a reversal of Biden-era policies and Trump-era policies. The administration argues that more funding and reforms are needed to repair a “broken” system and address the hemispheric crisis. DHS also notes that there has been an increase in the return of illegal immigrants, some more since May than in all of fiscal 2019.
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Lawmakers are considering an additional spending bill that would include $14 billion in border funding for staffing, processing, removal and assistance to cities and organizations. But Republicans want tighter asylum restrictions and fewer paroles.
