Israel-Hamas war renews concerns about US southern border

Israel declared war after Hamas launched a surprise attack
Are militants sneaking across the US southern border?
More than 8,000 'special interest' migrants encountered last month

(NewsNation) — Who is crossing the southern border? Do they want a better life or do they want to do the U.S. harm? That’s the renewed concern of many people following the surprise attack on Israel by Hamas.

Data from sources within U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows that more than 8,000 migrants from “special interest countries” were encountered by CBP at the southern border in September alone, which is about 1,000 more than the month before. A total of 76,000 special interest migrants crossed the border last year.

Special interest countries are areas identified by the U.S. government that present a national security risk, some with links to global terrorism. A special interest label does not necessarily mean people on the list are terrorists, but it means they may have a nexus to terrorism in some way, shape or form. Border Patrol sources provided the following totals for special interest encounters for fiscal year 2023:

Egypt: 3,088

Iran: 457

Syria: 375

Lebanon: 114

Iraq: 82

Yemen: 74

Authorities along the border are on alert for the possibility of militants coming out of Iran and trying to sneak across the U.S. southern border. The number of migrants from Iran in fiscal year 2023 more than doubled the 226 recorded in 2022.

Agents are also concerned about Hezbollah’s connections in Venezuela coupled with the country’s lax visa requirements, under which someone could establish residency in Venezuela for a few years and then pass through the U.S. southern border.

When reviewing Venezuelan border crossing statistics, the latest numbers are astronomical. In September, the U.S. saw more than 66,000 people come in from that country, representing the No. 1 nationality for border crossings last month. Mexico usually tops the list.

The vast majority of these individuals are processed and released into the U.S. with a notice to appear in court in probably two to five years.

A total of 151 people trying to enter the U.S. last year were flagged on the terrorist watch list, which is a sizable jump from years prior.

Sources say the cartels have their highest success of smuggling high-profile people into the U.S. that may be on the terrorist list or have extensive criminal history while Border Patrol is tied up working on processing and transporting tasks.

CBP says at this time, they have not identified any specific or credible threat to the U.S. stemming from the Hamas attack on Israel but added it is “closely monitoring unfolding events.”