Border Patrol mistakenly freed terror watch list suspect amidst illegal immigration surge.

Border Patrol Releases Illegal Immigrant on FBI’s Terror Watchlist

According to a new report, Border Patrol agents in Arizona released an illegal immigrant who was named on the FBI’s terror watchlist, sparking a weeks-long effort by federal agencies to locate and re-arrest the potentially dangerous individual.

The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General released a scathing report on Wednesday, criticizing federal police organizations, the FBI, and the Border Patrol for multiple missteps in handling illegal immigrants in custody, including avoidable mistakes like emailing the wrong recipient.

“[Customs and Border Protection] apprehended and subsequently released a migrant without providing information requested by the [FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center] that would have confirmed they were a positive match with the Terrorist Watchlist,”

The report revealed that agents in Yuma, Arizona, apprehended an unnamed immigrant on April 17, 2022, and screened them for national security threats.

The FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center determined at the time that the immigrant was an inconclusive match to the Terrorist Watchlist. The FBI’s National Targeting Center then requested an interview between the individual and the FBI, but due to an email sent to the wrong Border Patrol account, the Border Patrol was unaware of the request.

Furthermore, the FBI failed to share other background information about the immigrant internally between the National Targeting Center and the Terrorist Screening Center.

Despite the FBI’s request for additional information on the immigrant, the Border Patrol did not respond.

One Border Patrol agent explained that they were busy processing an increased flow of migrants, but the senior Border Patrol official overseeing Yuma sector operations stated that a response should have been provided to the National Targeting Center.

On April 21, the immigrant attempted to pass through security at a checkpoint in Palm Springs International Airport. During pre-flight screening, the Terrorist Screening Center confirmed that the immigrant was a positive match to the Terrorist Watchlist.

However, the immigrant was not stopped at security and boarded a flight to Tampa, Florida.

On April 22, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer notified ICE’s Miami office that an immigrant confirmed to be on the terror watchlist was within their jurisdiction and should be arrested immediately.

ICE’s Fugitive Operations did not receive the necessary information until 8 days after requesting it, causing delays in the arrest.

The immigrant was finally arrested by ICE on May 4, 2022, during a coordinated traffic stop.

The report did not disclose the immigrant’s identity, country of origin, or the reason for their inclusion on the terror watchlist. It also did not provide information on where the individual was transferred or if they were facing criminal charges.

Rise in Terror Watchlist Individuals at the Southern Border

While individuals on the terror watchlist make up a small percentage of apprehended illegal immigrants at the southern border, the numbers have been increasing over the past two years.

Since the start of fiscal 2023 in October 2022, Border Patrol has caught 127 noncitizens listed on the FBI’s terror watchlist attempting to enter the United States illegally.

In fiscal 2022, when the incident in Yuma occurred, Border Patrol arrested 98 suspects, the highest level in at least the last four years.

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