Former FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker warned on CNN on Friday that terrorists are “deeply embedded” in the United States and said the threat level should “further increase” after the attack in Germany.
A 50-year-old Saudi doctor crashed his car into a crowded Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, on Friday, killing at least two people and injuring nearly 70 others. On “Anderson Cooper 360,” Swecker was asked if he thought there was a potential “threat” to the United States, given the heightened concerns since the “fall of Afghanistan.” (Related article: ‘Terrorist smuggling’: Democratic Party sparks backlash over demand for deportation protection for Palestinians)
“I agree,” Swecker said. “I mean, I’ve heard FBI Director Chris Wray talk about this in conjunction with the relative ease of crossing the southern border. And you know, even if a terrorist is a lone terrorist, There is no question that terrorist organizations have come across the border, and they are firmly entrenched in this country.”
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“I’ve worked on terrorist cases. Hezbollah has always had a presence here. They raise money here and could be called into action at any time as an active terrorist organization.” Swecker added. “So I think there will be a heightened level of vigilance, especially around Christmas. You mentioned complacency earlier, so it’s probably higher than it is now. And as someone who comes from a background in this field, I’m concerned about that complacency. ”
Concerns over the Biden-Harris administration’s handling of the U.S. southern border have raised questions about the vetting process for illegal immigrants.
On Tuesday, US Border Patrol (USPB) Director Jason Owens announced in a social post that an unidentified South African national was arrested in Brooklyn, New York on “suspected terrorism.” The illegal immigrant was initially detained in Texas on trespassing charges, but was released due to “information available at the time.”
An estimated 99 people on the U.S. terrorist watch list crossed into the country across the southern border in August, according to a Congressional report. According to the report, between fiscal years 2021 and 2023, USBP officers encountered more than 250 illegal immigrants on terrorist watch lists, nearly 100 of whom were later released to the United States by the Department of Homeland Security. It turned out that.
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