Terror Suspects Slip Through Cracks At Southern Border, Agents Warn

Border Patrol agents are raising alarms about the potential for terrorists and violent criminals to enter the United States undetected amid the surge of illegal border crossings.

According to the agents, the overwhelming number of migrants apprehended each day, coupled with the pressure to process them quickly, has led to inadequate screening and the release of individuals who may pose a threat to national security.

“It’s a catch-and-release operation, so they bring in busloads of people, they fingerprint them and [run them through a system], and initially, a lot of times, nothing comes back on these people,” one Border Patrol agent told the New York Post. “The turnover is insane, it’s less than 72 hours.”

Another agent added that conducting full background checks within that timeframe is “next to impossible,” especially given the lack of information-sharing with countries that are “decades behind us with technology and policing practices.”

Recent arrests underscore the concerns, including a convicted murderer from Colombia, a suspected member of an Afghan terror group, and a Colombian national on the terror watchlist who were all initially released into the U.S. before their criminal histories or terror ties were discovered.

With monthly border encounters ranging from 180,000 to 300,000 since July 2023, agents warn that more dangerous individuals are likely to slip through the cracks unless the screening process is improved and the flow of illegal border crossings is stemmed.