During a testimony before the House Judiciary Committee in May 2012, then-FBI Director Robert Mueller was questioned by Republican Rep.
Elton Gallegly of California about the threat of terrorists entering the United States through the Southern border.
Gallegly specifically asked about the possibility of al-Qaeda or any other terrorist organization exploiting the border to launch an attack on American soil.
Mueller responded by expressing greater concern about Hezbollah than al-Qaeda in relation to the Southwest border. He stated, "As to the Southwest border and al-Qaeda, we have not seen an increase of effort by al-Qaeda to come across the Southwest border. On the other hand, when you open the question up to other terrorist groups, I would say that we have a continuing concern about Iranian influence, actors, and Hezbollah."
Mueller had previously testified before the Senate Committee on Intelligence in February 2005, where he discussed a Hizballah fundraiser from Lebanon who had been discovered in Michigan. Mueller stated, "In 2004, we had some success in uncovering individuals providing material support to Hezbollah. In Detroit, Mahmoud Youssef Kourani was indicted in the Eastern District of Michigan on one count of Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to Hizballah. Kourani was already in custody for entering the country illegally through Mexico and was involved in fundraising activities on behalf of Hezbollah."
A staff report published in 2004 by the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, titled "9/11 and Terrorist Travel," provided further information about the smuggling of Lebanese nationals sympathetic to Hamas and Hezbollah into the United States. The report highlighted the possible link between human smugglers and terrorist groups, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and Egyptian Islamic Jihad. It revealed evidence suggesting that human smugglers had facilitated the travel of terrorists associated with various extremist groups since 1999.
Despite these findings, the United States did not secure its southern border. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) encountered an increasing number of individuals on the "Terrorist Screening Dataset" attempting to enter the United States illegally between ports of entry on the Mexican border. This dataset includes "known or suspected terrorists" and individuals who pose a potential threat to the country. In fiscal years 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, CBP encountered a growing number of individuals on this watchlist, with the numbers reaching 169 in fiscal year 2023.
The State Department's "Country Reports on Terrorism 2021" also highlighted the continued activity of Hezbollah in the Western Hemisphere. The report mentioned fundraising by Hezbollah supporters and financiers in areas like the tri-border area of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. It noted that Hezbollah supporters and members had been identified in Chile, Colombia, Panama, Peru, and the United States.
A recent report by Jennie Taer of the Daily Caller News Foundation revealed that Customs and Border Protection issued a memo in October warning about the potential entry of "foreign fighters" from the Middle East through Mexico. The memo stated that individuals inspired by or reacting to the Israel-Hamas conflict might attempt to travel to or from the Middle East via the Southwest border, potentially obfuscating their travel to or from the United States.
Due to the porous nature of the southern border and the significant number of illegal crossings, it is impossible for the federal government to accurately determine the presence of Hezbollah or Hamas terrorists in the United States.
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