Border Patrol Encounters With Individuals on Terrorist Watchlist Illegally Crossing Southwest Border Up 5-Fold Since Last Year

Terence P. Jeffrey : Sep 22, 2022
CNS News

In fiscal 2017, according to the CBP data, the Border Patrol only had 2 encounters with individuals on the terrorist watchlist between the ports of entry on the Southwest border. In fiscal 2018, it was 6. In fiscal 2019, it was zero. In fiscal 2020, it was 3. In fiscal 2021, it was 15. Then, in October through August of this fiscal year, it was 78.

[CNSNews.com] The number of times the US Border Patrol has encountered an individual on the terrorist watchlist attempting to illegally cross the southwest border between the legal ports of entry in fiscal 2022 is already up more than five-fold from fiscal 2021. (Screengrab image)

In fiscal 2021, according to data released by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Border Patrol had 15 encounters between the Southwest border ports of entry with individuals on the terrorist watchlist.

In the first eleven months of fiscal 2022 (October through August), the Border Patrol had 78 encounters between the Southwest border ports of entry with individuals on the terrorist watchlist.

The 78 Border Patrol encounters with people on the terrorist watchlist reported in the first eleven months of this fiscal year is 5.2 times the 15 encounters that occurred through all of fiscal 2021.

In fiscal 2017, according to the CBP data, the Border Patrol only had 2 encounters with individuals on the terrorist watchlist between the ports of entry on the Southwest border. In fiscal 2018, it was 6. In fiscal 2019, it was zero. In fiscal 2020, it was 3. In fiscal 2021, it was 15. Then, in October through August of this fiscal year, it was 78.

At the same time that the number of encounters with individuals on the terrorist watchlist between the ports of entry on the Southwest border has increased, the number at the ports of entry themselves has decreased.

In fiscal 2021, CBP had 103 encounters at the Southwest border ports of entry with individuals on the watchlist. In the first eleven months of fiscal 2022, that has dropped to 63.

CBP also reports that so far this year it has had no encounters with individuals on the terrorist watchlist trying to enter the country between the ports of entry on the Northern border. However, in the first eleven months of this fiscal year, CBP has had 279 encounters with individuals on the terrorist watchlist trying to cross at the ports of entry along the Northern border.

That is up from 54 encounters with watchlisted individuals at Northern border ports of entry in fiscal 2021.

"The Terrorist Screening Dataset (TSDS)–also known as the 'watchlist'–is the US government's database that contains sensitive information on terrorist identities," says CBP. "The TSDS originated as the consolidated terrorist watchlist to house information on known or suspected terrorists (KSTs) but has evolved over the last decade to include additional individuals who represent a potential threat to the United States, including known affiliates of watchlisted individuals." Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here