A Colombian national who was arrested for illegally crossing the southern border has been tested as a “positive match” on a terrorist watchlist and turned out to be a former member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the Post has revealed. .
Exclusive sources say that Jermington Genaro-Quiñones Carvajal, who was arrested near El Paso, Texas, on March 8, knew that the shipments could include firearms, ammunition and cocaine destined for the FARC. He admitted that he had previously supervised the transport of goods and unmarked boxes. He obtained an internal Border Patrol memo.
Carvajal told federal authorities that he had “demobilized” the FARC, which is considered one of Colombia’s most powerful violent opposition groups by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Counter-terrorism report on this group The U.S. government says it has carried out “armed attacks, assassinations, extortion operations, and hostage-taking” primarily against the Colombian government and military.
Carvajal’s arrest came a day after the Post reported that a Lebanese migrant who was caught sneaking across the border had admitted to being a member of the terrorist organization Hezbollah, saying he wanted to go to New York and build bombs. Ta.
Carvajal was also arrested on suspicion of aggravated robbery. He served six months in prison and 52 months under house arrest, according to a Border Patrol report, but it is unclear in which country he was sentenced and imprisoned.
Federal authorities secured charges against Mr. Carvajal for illegally entering the United States. He is currently being held pending sentencing on March 25, according to federal court documents.
Court documents also say Carvajal entered the United States by swimming across the Rio Grande. It also said that since he has no criminal history in the United States, his sentence would likely be no more than six months in prison.
The Biden administration rescinded the FARC’s terrorist designation in 2021, citing a 2016 agreement with the Colombian government that had it “formally disbanded and disarmed.”
The US government designated FARC as a terrorist organization in 1997.
A Colombian immigrant on another terrorist watch list entered the country illegally near Eagle Pass, Texas, on February 21, days before former President Donald Trump visited the area, according to an internal Border Patrol memo. It was revealed.
In fiscal year 2022, border officers recorded 98 encounters with individuals on terrorist watch lists at both the northern and southern borders, compared to 2023, which ended Sept. 30, according to federal data. In the fiscal year, the number almost doubled to 172.
Between October and January, federal authorities arrested 50 people whose names appeared on the terrorist watch list.
From fiscal year 2017 to fiscal year 2021, Border Patrol had just 30 total encounters with individuals on the terrorist watch list.
