An illegal Lebanese migrant apprehended near El Paso, Texas, claims to be a Hezbollah terrorist. The Lebanese national claimed to be headed to New York.
He says he wanted to make a bomb.
Be informed, not misled.
Border Patrol agents arrested 22-year-old Basel Bassel Ebbadi, a Lebanese national, after he illegally entered the United States from Mexico near El Paso. While in custody, he was asked what he was doing in the US, to which he replied, “I’m going to try to make a bomb,” according to an exclusive report by the New York Post.
However, Ebbadi later claimed in an interview that he had been trying to flee Lebanon and Hezbollah because he “didn’t want to kill people” and said, “Once you’re in, you can never get out,” according to internal US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) documents.
Ebbadi said in a sworn interview after his arrest that he had trained with Hezbollah for seven years and served as an active member guarding weapons locations for another four years, the documents show.
The Post notes that Ebbadi’s training focused on “jihad” and killing people “that was not Muslim,” he said.
Border agents continue to see a surge in migrants whose names appear on the terror watchlist entering the US illegally as crossings continue at record levels.
Hezbollah, an Iran-backed terror group, has launched missiles into northern Israel following Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7 that killed about a dozen Israeli soldiers and seven civilians.
Frankly, while reading this, I paused, wondering why he was sharing all this with the US Border Patrol.
Is he a plant who will give false information to our authorities?
Ebbadi didn’t have documents when he entered the US, claiming he was robbed “with a knife” in Costa Rica, according to the ICE documents.
He also admitted to using a fake birthday and name in Sweden, Ecuador—where he claimed his father resides—and Panama this year.
Breitbart News notes, "During the interview on March 12, agents Mirandized the man who later admitted to being a member of a foreign terrorist organization."
Ebbadi is not the only one.
During the first four months of Fiscal Year 24, which began on October 1, 2023, nearly 60 migrants illegally entering the United States have been identified as being on the terror watch list. Approximately 270 more were apprehended in the prior two fiscal years — shattering prior records.
With the open border policies now in place, most any thinking American would wonder how many crossed our border who were not apprehended?
Last September, Breitbart News reported, "As Americans mark the 22nd anniversary of the September 11, 2001, Islamic terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 Americans, President Joe Biden’s administration is overseeing a surge in illegal aliens crossing the United States-Mexico border who are on the government’s 'Terrorist Watch List'.”
They continued, "Since October 2022, Biden’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has encountered 149 illegal aliens at the nation’s northern and southern borders who were revealed to be listed on the federal government’s Terrorist Watch List."
News Nation reports, "This comes as migrant encounters in the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol have increased in the past two weeks, but remain comparable to last December, federal officials say."
They also reported that "In recent history, Hezbollah has been among the most dangerous terrorist organizations in the world. It shares with Hamas the goal of wanting to dismantle Israel and harm its people. According to Arab Media, the terrorist organization praised the operation by Hamas inside Israel."
During the October 7th attack against Israel, the terror group claimed it was in direct contact with Palestinian resistance leadership, according to Reuters.
Earlier this month, a 40-year-old Colombian man on the terror watchlist was caught crossing into the Eagle Pass area along the U.S.-Mexico border last month, sources confirmed to NewsNation.
Carlos Obed Yepez-Bedoya — who’s been flagged as a known or suspected terrorist — entered Feb. 21 into the Eagle Pass area of Texas just days before former President Donald Trump arrived.
Since October, the U.S. Border Patrol has caught 59 people on the terror watchlist crossing between ports of entry, continuing a significant uptick in recent years. From fiscal year 2017 to 2020, for example, federal data shows that less than 10 people on the list were encountered each year.
Takeaway
On the night of June 6, 1944, President Roosevelt went on national radio to address the nation for the first time about the Normandy invasion. His speech took the form of a prayer.
He began with this:
"My fellow Americans: Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far.
And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:
Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.
Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.
They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.
There's more. The link above will take you to the entire speech/prayer.
This begs the question: Have we fallen so far from our founding principles and deeply held beliefs that we can no longer defend ourselves against an enemy, whether from without or within?
Our national leaders have become so obsessed with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) that we have become a laughing stock to much of the world.
Our president repeatedly assures those suffering from gender dysphoria he "has their back" when he can't even carry out his daily presidential duties---or find his way off stage after making a few remarks.
Our military has been unable to meet its recruiting quotas, so the quotas have been reduced to save face.
This has happened in 80 years. Essentially one generation.
We have labeled patriotism as nationalism and made it something evil.
We have mocked God and told Him to stay off our state-owned properties.
We've attempted to rid ourselves of our founding principles and our Founding Fathers.
We can no longer publicly pray "We need Thy blessings" for fear of offending someone who serves another god.
We are a deeply divided nation.
We cannot, as Abraham Lincoln reminded us, continue to be a "house divided." We will ultimately become all of one or all of the other.
Pray for our country.
Be Informed. Be Discerning. Be Vigilant. Be Prayerful. Be Engaged.