The Nuclear Bible: Terrorism & Mexico

Intro: The innuendos regarding the possibility that terrorists from the Middle East, namely Pakistan or Iran, will smuggle a nuclear
bomb into the United States via Mexico is increasing at an alarming rate. It appears that Mexico will serve as the conduit for Nuclear Terror, and as a result a North American Union must be formed to prevent it from ever happening again.

Date: November 14, 2004 Source: TIME, Adam Zagorin Title/Headline: Bordering On Nukes? Abstract: A key al-Qaeda operative seized in Pakistan recently offered an alarming account of the group's potential plans to target the U.S. with weapons of mass destruction, senior U.S. security officials tell TIME. Sharif al-Masri, an Egyptian who was captured in late August near Pakistan's border with Iran and Afghanistan, has told his interrogators of "al-Qaeda's interest in moving nuclear materials from Europe to either the U.S. or Mexico," according to a report circulating among U.S. government officials. Masri also said al-Qaeda has considered plans to "smuggle nuclear materials to Mexico, then operatives would carry material into the U.S.," according to the report, parts of which were read to TIME. Masri says his family, seeking refuge from al-Qaeda hunters, is now in Iran. Masri's account, though unproved, has added to already heightened U.S. concerns about Mexico. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge met publicly with top Mexican officials last week to discuss border security and smuggling rings that could be used to slip al-Qaeda terrorists into the country. Weeks prior to Ridge's lightning visit, U.S. and Mexican intelligence conferred about reports from several alQaeda detainees indicating the potential use of Mexico as a staging area "to acquire end-stage chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear material." U.S. officials have begun to keep a closer eye on heavy-truck traffic across the border. The Mexicans will also focus on flight schools and aviation facilities on their side of the frontier. And another episode has some senior U.S. officials worried: the theft of a crop-duster aircraft south of San Diego, apparently by three men from southern Mexico who assaulted a watchman and then flew off in a southerly direction. Though the theft's connection to terrorism remains unclear, a senior U.S. law-enforcement official notes that crop dusters can be used to disperse toxic substances. The plane has not been recovered (Zagorin, 2004). Date: October 12, 2006 Source: U.S. Department Of Homeland Security (DHS) Title/Headline: A Line In The Sand: Confronting The Threat On The Southwest Abstract: The Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Security issues this interim report summarizing its findings regarding the criminal activity and violence taking place along the Southwest border of the United States between Texas and Mexico. The Texas-Mexico border region has been experiencing an alarming rise in the level of criminal cartel activity, including drug and human smuggling, which has placed significant additional burdens on Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies. This interim report will examine the roots of the criminal enterprise and its effects on the local populations, what steps are being taken or should be taken to counter the threat, and the significance of these issues for the overall homeland security of the United States. The United States border with Mexico extends nearly 2,000 miles along the southern borders of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. In most areas, the border is located in remote and sparsely populated areas of vast desert and rugged mountain terrain. Data indicates that there are hundreds of illegal aliens apprehended entering the United States each year who are from countries known to support and sponsor terrorism. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigations have revealed that naliens were smuggled from the Middle East to staging areas in Central and South America, before being smuggled illegally into the United States. Members of Hezbollah have already entered the United States across the Southwest border. U.S. military and intelligence officials believe that Venezuela is emerging as a potential hub of terrorism in the Western Hemisphere. Subcommittee Staff Finds That: Drug trafficking organizations and human smuggling networks are proliferating and strengthening their control of key corridors along our Nations Southwest border. The Mexican drug cartels wield substantial control over the U.S.-Mexican border. Law enforcement on the border agree that very little crosses the respective cartel territories, or plazas, along th e Southwest border without cartel knowledge,approval, and financial remuneration. These criminal organizations and networks are highly sophisticated and organized, operating with military style weapons and technology, utilizing counter surveillance techniques and acting aggressively against both law enforcement and competitors.

Drug trafficking organizations, human smuggling networks and U.S. based gangs are increasingly coordinating with one another to achieve their objectives. Federal, State and local law enforcement report new and ever-increasing levels of ruthlessness and violence associated with these criminal organizations, which are increasingly spilling across the border into the United States and moving into local communities. Each year hundreds of illegal aliens from countries known to harbor terrorists or promote terrorism are routinely encountered and apprehended attempting to enter the U.S. illegally. The existing resources of the U.S. Border Patrol and local law enforcement must continue to be enhanced to counter the cartels and the criminal networks they leverage to circumvent law enforcement.

Smuggling Routes Along the Texas-Mexico Border: Along the Texas-Mexico border, drug cartels and organized criminal groups have established a robust presence in key strategic areas. The Texas-Mexico border is particularly attractive to these criminal networks as it spans approximately 1200 miles, includes 18 Ports of Entry, and has major interstate highways in Brownsville, McAllen, Laredo, and El Paso, thereby providing the organized crime groups with access to the rest of the Nation. The South Texas region covers approximately 625 miles of border territory a total area of 20,963 square miles and borders three separate Mexican States. Inside the territory are 11 Ports of Entry that include 15 international bridges. Directly across the cities of Brownsville, McAllen, and Laredo are major Mexican cities, each with a population between 600,000 and 800,000. The El Paso-Juarez corridor in west Texas also serves as the gateway for drugs destined to major metropolitan areas in the United States. Mexican drug cartels transport significant quantities of marijuana and cocaine through the El Paso Port of Entry using major east/west and north/south interstate highways. These highways provide the Mexican cartels with transportation routes for drug distribution throughout the United States. The Laredo Port of Entry is the busiest and most heavily traversed land Port of Entry on the Southwest border, handling approximately 6,000 commercial vehicles a day. Forty percent of all Mexican exports cross into Laredo, Texas, where Interstate 35 connects directly to Dallas, and from there throughout the United States. U.S. Border Patrol Chief John Montoya describes this Port of Entr y as the key ingress into the United States. Its called a gateway city, not only into Mexico but into the United States as well.12 The very conditions that make the Laredo Port of Entry so attractive to legitimate commerce also make the city ideal for the illicit drug and human smuggling trade. Vulnerability to Terrorist Infiltration: The number of aliens other than Mexican (OTMs) illegally crossing the border has grown at an alarming rate over the past several years. Based on U.S. Border Patrol statistics there were 30,147 OTMs apprehended in FY2003, 44,614 in FY2004, 165,178 in FY2005, and 108,025 in FY2006. Most of them were apprehended along the U.S. Southwest border.100 The sheer increase of OTMs coming across the border makes it more difficult for Border Patrol agents to readily identify and process each, thereby increasing the chances that a potential terrorist could slip through the system. Moreover, there is no concrete mechanism for determining how many OTMs evade apprehensions and successfully enter the country illegally. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) pays particular attention to OTMs apprehended by the Border Patrol who originate from thirty-five nations designated as special interest countries. According to Border Patrol Chief David Aguilar, special interest countries have been designated by our intelligence community as countries that could export individuals that could bring harm to our country in the way of terrorism. Though the majority of overall apprehensions made by the Border Patrol occur in the Tucson sector of Arizona, the Texas border specifically the McAllen sector far outpaces the rest of the country in OTM and Special Interest Alien apprehensions. Since September 11, 2001, DHS has reported a 41% increase in arrests along the Texas/Mexico border of Special Interest Aliens. Since September 11, 2001 to the present hundreds of illegal aliens from special interest countries (such as Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Pakistan, Cuba, Brazil, Ecuador, China, Russia, Yemen, Albania, Yugoslavia and Afghanistan) were apprehended within the South Texas region alone. A jacket with patches from countries where al Qaida is known to operate was found in Jim Hogg County, Texas by the Border Patrol. The patches on the jacket show an Arabic military badge with one depicting an airplane flying over a building and heading towards a tower, and another showing an image of a lion s head with wings and a parachute emanating from the animal. The bottom of one patch read martyr, way to eternal life or way to immortality. On January 28, 2006, B order Patrol Chief David Aguilar was asked by a reporter from KGNS television station in Laredo, Texas, about the outcome of the investigation of the jacket. Chief Aguilar responded that the patches were not from al Qaida but from countries in which al Qaida was known to operate.

Alleged Al Qaeda Military Patches Found In Mexico According to ICE testimony, on September 8, 2004, ICE agents arrested Neeran Zaia and Basima Sesi. The human smuggling organization headed by Zaia specialized in smuggling Iraqi, Jordanian, and Syrian Nationals and was responsible for the movement of more than 200 aliens throughout the investigation. The investigation was initiated when a confidential informant familiar with the organization reported ongoing smuggling activities by Zaia, who had been previously convicted of alien smuggling. Investigative efforts revealed that the aliens were smuggled from the Middle East to staging areas in Central and South America. Once in these staging areas, the conspirators would arrange to smuggle the aliens from these sites into the U.S. or its territories. Members of Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based terrorist organization, have already entered to the United States across our Southwest border . On March 1, 2005, Mahmoud Youssef Kourani pleaded guilty to providing material support to Hezbollah.111 Kourani is a an illegal alien who had been smuggled across the U.S.-Mexico border after bribing a Mexican consular official in Beirut for a visa to travel to Mexico.

Kourani and a Middle Eastern traveling partner then paid coyotes in Mexico to guide them into the United States . Kourani established residence among the Lebanese expatriate community in Dearborn, Michigan and began soliciting funds for Hezbollah terrorists back home in Lebanon. He is the brother of the Hezbollah chief of military operations in southern Lebanon. In December 2002, Salim Boughader Mucharrafille, a caf owner in Tijuana, Mexico, was arrested for illegally smuggling more than two hundred Lebanese illegally into the United States, including several believed to have terrorist ties to Hezbollah.112 Just last month Robert L. Boatwright, Assistant Chief Patrol Agent of the El Paso Texas Sector, reported, We have apprehended people from countries that support terrorismthey were thoroughly debriefed and there was a tremendous amount of information collected from them. Statements made by high-ranking Mexican officials prior to and following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks indicate that one or more Islamic terrorist organizations has sought to establish a presence in Mexico. In May 2001, former Mexican National security adviser and ambassador to the United Nations, Adolfo Aguilar Zinser, reported, that Spanish and Islamic terrorist groups are using Mexico as a refuge. Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Robert Mueller has confirmed in testimony that there are individuals from countries with known al-Qaida connections who are changing their Islamic surnames to Hispanic-sounding names and obtaining false Hispanic identities, learning to speak Spanish and pretending to be Hispanic immigrants. Islamic radical groups that support Hamas, Hezbollah and Islamiya Al Gamat are all active in Latin America. These groups generate funds through money laundering, drug trafficking, and arms deals, making millions of dollars every year via their multiple illicit activities. These cells reach back to the Middle East and extend to this hemisphere the sophisticated global support structure of international terrorism. While threats to our nation from international terrorism are well known, lesser known threats spawned by narcoterrorism reach deeply into this country. It is especially difficult to provide the total number of Special Interest Aliens entering the U.S. illegally because they pay larger amounts of money ($15,000 to $60,000 per alien) to employ the more effective Mexican alien smuggling organizations and are less likely to be apprehended. One thing, however, is known for certain hundreds of people from countries known to harbor terrorists or promote terrorism are caught trying to enter the United States illegally along the land border, and the massive flow of immigrants and our porous border create various and abundant opportunities for concealment. Given the ever-present threat posed by al-Qaida and other terrorist organizations a threat that has been underscored by the recent events in London and the vulnerability of our borders the need for immediate action to enforce our borders could not be more apparent. Texas Border Security Initiatives: In response to the increasing criminal activity and violence along the Southwest border on February 9, 2006, the State of Texas, in partnership with the Federal government, launched Operation Rio Grande. The strategy focuses on four key areas: 1) Increased patrols and law enforcement presence; 2) Centralized of command, control, and intelligence operations; 3) Increased State funding and deployment of State resources for border security; and 4) Enhanced utilization of technology to fight border crime. One of the key cornerstones of Operation Rio Grande is the increased cooperation among Federal, State, and local law enforcement. During the duration of each regional operation, U.S. Border Patrol and border sheriffs received the support of various and key State. The Federal government has taken positive steps to secure its borders, but much more is needed to combat an increasingly powerful, sophisticated, and violent criminal network which has been successful in smuggling illegal contraband, human or otherwise, into our country. The growth of these criminal groups, along the Southwest border, and the potential for terrorists to exploit the vulnerabilities which they create, represents a real threat to Americas national security (DHS, 2006). Date: May 5, 2008 Source: American Chronicle, Michael Webster Title/Headline: Dangerous Mexican/U.S. Criminal Enterprises Operating Along The Mexican Border Abstract: The overwhelming influence and power of the Mexican Drug Cartels who are the Mexican drug trafficking organizations and criminal gangs operating in Mexico and the United States. They have emerged in recent years as the most dangerous and politically influential drug traffickers in the western hemisphere if not the world. The Mexican cartels have existed for some time, they have become increasingly powerful with the demise of the Medellin and Cali cartels in Colombia and have now come to dominate the U.S. illicit drug market and other criminal enterprises. According to the National Drug Intelligence Center, Mexican cartels are "the predominant smugglers, transporters, and wholesale distributors of cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, and Mexico-produced heroin in the United States" and "are expanding their control over the distribution of these drugs in areas controlled by Colombian and Dominican criminal groups, and now believed to include all of the U.S.A.. In addition to drug trafficking, cartels have been tied to illegal alien, terrorist, arms smuggling and those proceeds are subsequently laundered through seemingly legitimate local businesses. The cartels through the criminal gangs who work for them have been involved in kidnappings and military style training camps, some reported to be along the border with the U.S. FBI Director Robert Mueller described U.S. based-gangs as "more organized, more violent, and more widespread than ever." The Department of Justice estimates there are approximately 30,000 gangs with more than 800,000 members in the U.S. Mueller believes these violent gangs pose a growing threat to the safety and security of Americans. As this reporter has documented Mexican Drug cartels are ordering decapitations of cartel enemies, including federal, state and city police officers. Many of these victims were blind folded and hooded before they shoot them. Other types of violence to murder victims are: Physical beatings, torture, or body dumped on street or lot torture involving beating, tooth removal, appendage removal, death by torture, strangulation, single shot to head and/or multiple shots to head and body. Other tactics were same as above with head and/or face fully or partially wrapped with duct tape or other head wrappings or blind folds. Bodies often disposed of by the alternate "Pozole" method. The pozole is where they stuff the body sometime still alive into a 55 gallon barrel and pour gas, battery acid and other corrosive terrible chemicals. The theory being that they think it makes the body easer to dispose of and makes what may remain very difficult to

identify later by authorities. Many were beheaded with or without written messages on bodies or in vehicles. The cartels methods of torture and killing are particularly brutal. By using these horrible and terrifying tactics the Cartels are sending a chilling message to the Mexican President Felipe Calderon Administration by adopting methods of intimidation made notorious by Middle Eastern terrorist groups. Dozens of people have been decapitated in Mexico so far this year, with heads stuck on fence posts, found in trash bags and heads being tossed onto a nightclub dance floor for all to see. Dozens of U.S. citizens have been kidnapped, held hostage and killed by their captors in Mexico and many cases remain unsolved. Moreover, new cases of disappearances and kidnap-for-ransom continue to be reported yet no high level warning has been issued to protect Americans against this world class violence. Many kidnapped victims where held in deplorable jail like metal cages in so called safe houses. U.S. intelligence officials report that human smuggling has become another component of the drug cartels business. This fact is of particular import in a post 9/11 environment and at a time in history when the United States is more concerned than ever about securing its borders. Americans Being Kidnapped, Held and killed in Mexico. FBI Director Robert Mueller described U.S. based-gangs as "more organized, more violent, and more widespread than ever." The Department of Justice estimates there are approximately 30,000 gangs with more than 800,000 members in the U.S. Dangerous Mexican Cartel Gangs. The number of aliens other than Mexican ("OTMs") illegally crossing the border has grown at an alarming rate over the past several years. Based on U.S. Border Patrol statistics there were 30,147 OTMs apprehended in FY2003, 44,614 in FY2004, 165,178 in FY2005, and 108,025 in FY2006. 210,027 FY 2007. Most of them were apprehended along the U.S Southwest border. The sheer increase of OTMs coming across the border makes it more difficult for Border Patrol agents to readily identify and process each, thereby increasing the chances that a potential terrorist could slip through the system. Moreover, there is no concrete mechanism for determining how many OTMs evade apprehensions and successfully enter the country illegally. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) pays particular attention to OTMs apprehended by the Border Patrol who originate from thirty-five nations designated as "special interest" countries. According to Border Patrol Chief David Aguilar, special interest countries have been "designated by our intelligence community as countries that could export individuals that could bring harm to our country in the way of terrorism." Though the majority of overall apprehensions made by the Border Patrol occur in the Tucson sector of Arizona, the Texas border specifically the McAllen sector far outpaces the rest of the country in OTM and Special Interest Alien apprehensions. Since September 11, 2001, DHS has reported a 501% increase in arrests along the U.S. Mexican border of Special Interest Aliens. The data indicates that each year hundreds of illegal aliens from countries known to harbor terrorists or promote terrorism are routinely encountered and apprehended attempting to enter the U.S. illegally between Ports of Entry. Just recently, U.S. intelligence officials report that seven Iraqis were found in Brownsville, Texas in June 2006. In August 2006, an Afghani man was found swimming across the Rio Grande River in Hidalgo, Texas;104 as recently as October 2006, seven Chinese were apprehended in the Rio Grande Valley area of Texas. Items have been found by law enforcement officials along the banks of the Rio Grande River and inland that indicate possible ties to a terrorist organization or member of military units of Mexico. A jacket with patches from countries where al Qaida is known to operate was found in Jim Hogg County, Texas by the Border Patrol. The patches on the jacket show an Arabic military badge with one depicting an airplane flying over a building and heading towards a tower, and another showing an image of a lions head with wings and a parachute emanating from the animal. The bottom of one patch read "martyr," "way to eternal life" or "way to immortality." Border Patrol Chief David Aguilar was asked by a reporter from KGNS television station in Laredo, Texas, about the outcome of the investigation of the jacket. Chief Aguilar responded that the patches were not from al Qaida but from countries in which al Qaida was known to operate. According to ICE testimony, on September 8, 2004, ICE agents arrested Neeran Zaia and Basima Sesi. The human smuggling organization headed by Zaia specialized in smuggling Iraqi, Jordanian, and Syrian Nationals and was responsible for the movement of more than 200 aliens throughout the investigation. The investigation was initiated when a confidential informant familiar with the organization reported ongoing smuggling activities by Zaia, who had been previously convicted of alien smuggling. Investigative efforts revealed that the aliens were smuggled from the Middle East to staging areas in Central and South America. Once in these staging areas, the conspirators would arrange to smuggle the aliens from these sites into the U.S. or its territories. Members of Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based terrorist organization, have already entered into the United States across our Southwest border. On March 1, 2005, Mahmoud Youssef Kourani pleaded guilty to providing material support to Hezbollah . Kourani is an illegal alien who had been smuggled across the U.S.-Mexico border after bribing a Mexican consular official in Beirut for a visa to travel to Mexico. Kourani and a Middle Eastern traveling partner then paid coyotes in Mexico to guide them into the United States. Kourani established residence among the Lebanese expatriate community in Dearborn, Michigan and began soliciting funds for Hezbollah terrorists back home in Lebanon. He is the brother of the Hezbollah chief of military operations in southern Lebanon. Salim Boughader Mucharrafille, a caf owner in Tijuana, Mexico, was arrested for illegally smuggling more than two hundred Lebanese illegally into the United States, including several believed to have terrorist ties to Hezbollah. Robert L. Boatwright, Assistant Chief Patrol Agent of the El Paso Texas Sector, reported, "We have apprehended people from countries that support terrorismthey were thoroughly debriefed and there was a tremendous amount of information collected from them. Statements made by high-ranking Mexican officials prior to and following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks indicate that one or more Islamic terrorist organizations has sought to establish a presence in Mexico. In May 2001, former Mexican National security adviser and ambassador to the United Nations, Adolfo Aguilar Zinser, reported, that "Spanish and Islamic terrorist groups are using Mexico as a refuge." Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Robert Mueller has confirmed in testimony " that there are individuals from countries with known al-Qaida connections who are changing their Islamic surnames to Hispanic-sounding names and obtaining false Hispanic identities, learning to speak Spanish and pretending to be Hispanic immigrants. These examples highlight the dangerous intersection between traditional transnational criminal activities, such as human and drug smuggling, and more ominous threats to national security. Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez summed it up this way: "I dare to say that at any given time, daytime or nighttime, one can get on a boat and traverse back and forth between Texas and Mexico and not get caught. If smugglers can bring in tons of marijuana and cocaine at one time and can smuggle 20 to 30 persons at one time, one can just imagine how easy it would be to bring in 2 to 3 terrorists or their weapons of mass destruction across the river and not be detected. Chances of apprehension are very slim." Furthermore, according to senior U.S. military and intelligence officials, Venezuela is emerging as a potential hub of terrorism in the Western Hemisphere, providing assistance to Islamic radicals from the Middle East and other terrorists. General James Hill, commander of U.S. Southern Command, has warned the United States faces a growing risk from both Middle Eastern terrorists relocating to Latin America and terror groups originating in the region. General Hill said groups such as Hezbollah had established bases in Latin

America. These groups are taking advantage of smuggling hotspots, such as the tri-border area of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, and Venezuelas Margarita Island, to channel funds to terrorist groups around the world. Venezuela is providing support including identity documentsthat could prove useful to radical Islamic groups, say some U.S. officials. The Venezuelan government has issued thousands of cedulas, the equivalent of Social Security cards, to people from places such as Cuba, Columbia, and Middle Eastern nations that host foreign terrorist organizations. The U.S. officials believe that the Venezuelan government is issuing the documents to people who should not be getting them and that some of these cedulas could be subsequently used to obtain Venezuelan passports and even American visas, which could allow the holder to elude immigration checks and enter the United States. Recently, several Pakistanis were apprehended at the U.S.-Mexican border with fraudulent Venezuelan documents. "Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela, has been clearly talking to Iran about uranium," said a senior administration official quoted by the Washington Times. Chavez has made several trips to Iran and voiced solidarity with the country's hard-line mullahs. He has hosted Iranian officials in Caracas, endorsed Tehran's nuclear ambitions and expressed support for the insurgency in Iraq. The Times reports Venezuela is also talking with Hamas about sending representatives to Venezuela to raise money for the militant group's elected Palestinian government as Chavez seeks to build an anti-U.S. axis that also includes Fidel Castro's Cuba. "I am on the offensive," Chavez said on the al Jazeera television network, "because attack is the best form of defense. We are waging an offensive battle." Given all th at is happening in Chavezs Venezuela, some American officials regret that terrorism is seen chiefly as a Middle East problem and that the United States needs to start looking to protect its southern flank. A U.S. intelligence official expressed concern that "Counterterrorism issues are not being aggressively pursued in this hemisphere." Another intelligence official stated terror suspects held at Guantanamo Bay are not being interrogated about connections to Latin America. The bottom line, when it comes to terrorism so close to U.S. shores, says the official, "We dont even know what we dont know." Islamic radical groups that support Hamas, Hezbollah and Islamiya Al Gamat are all active in Mexico and other Latin American countries. These groups generate funds through money laundering, drug trafficking, and arms deals, making millions of dollars every year via their multiple illicit activities. These cells reach back to the Middle East and extend to this hemisphere the sophisticated global support structure of international terrorism. While threats to our nation from international terrorism are well known, lesser known threats spawned by narcoterrorism reach deeply into this country. Federal law enforcement entities estimate they apprehend approximately 10 to 30 percent of illegal aliens crossing the border. U.S. intelligence officials along the southwest border, on the other hand, are less optimistic. To be sure, it is unclear how many illegal aliens of any nationality evade capture by law enforcement each year and succeed in entering the United States illegally. One thing, however, is known for certain hundreds of people from countries known to harbor terrorists or promote terrorism are caught trying to enter the United States illegally along the land border, and the massive flow of immigrants and our porous border create various and abundant opportunities for concealment. Given the ever-present threat posed by al-Qaida and other terrorist organizations show the vulnerability of our borders the need for immediate action to enforce our borders could not be more apparent. The Federal government has taken positive steps to secure its borders, but much more is needed to combat an increasingly powerful, sophisticated, and violent criminal network which has been successful in smuggling illegal contraband, human or otherwise, into our country. The growth of these criminal groups, along the border, and the potential for terrorists to exploit the vulnerabilities which they create, represents a real threat to Americas national security. It is imperative that immediate action be taken to enhance security along our border with Mexico (Webster, 2008). Date: May 25, 2010 Source: National Terror Alert (DHS), WSBTV News Title/Headline: Threat Of Terrorists Crossing The Border Abstract: The area is the busiest spot in the nation for border patrol. Records show last year, agents caught a quarter of million people trying to enter the U.S. in the Tucson sector alone. According to those documents, a lot are from Mexico or South America, but hundreds of them arent and are from nations like Pakistan, Afghanist an, Iraq and Iran. Since January, border patrol agents say they have been on the lookout for 23 Somalis with ties to al-Qaida. Jailers released them from a Mexican prison and some law enforcement officials said they think they are headed for the U.S. border. The U.S. government no longer releases a list of what they call captured O.T.M.s, which stands for other than Mexicans. Channel 2 Action News obtained it from a congressional staffer (WSBTV News, 2010). [At 2:48 in WSBTV TV Special entitled Threat Of Terrorists Crossing The Border, the Department of Homeland Security OTM (Other Than Mexicans) list shows 110 Pakistanis were apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol. ] Date: May 27, 2010 Source: Fox News, Jana Winter Title/Headline: Feds Issue Terror Watch for the Texas/Mexico Border Abstract: The Department of Homeland Security is alerting Texas authorities to be on the lookout for a suspected member of the Somalia-based Al Shabaab terrorist group who might be attempting to travel to the U.S. through Mexico, a security expert who has seen the memo tells FOXNews.com. The warning follows an indictment unsealed this month in Texas federal court that accuses a Somali man in Texas of running a large-scale smuggling enterprise responsible for bringing hundreds of Somalis from Brazil through South America and eventually across the Mexican border. Many of the illegal immigrants, who court records say were given fake IDs, are alleged to have ties to other now-defunct Somalian terror organizations that have merged with active organizations like Al Shabaab, al-Barakat and Al-Ittihad Al-Islami. In 2008, the U.S. government designated Al Shabaab a terrorist organization. Al Shabaab has said its priority is to impose Sharia, or Islamic law, on Somalia; the group has aligned itself with Al Qaeda and has made statements about its intent to harm the United States. In recent years, American Somalis have been recruited by Al Shabaab to travel to Somalia, where they are often radicalized by more extremist or operational anti-American terror

groups, which Al Shabaab supports. The recruiters coming through the Mexican border are the ones who could be the most dangerous, according to law enforcement officials. Security experts tell FOXNews.com that the influx of hundreds of Somalis over the U.S. border who allegedly have ties to suspected terror cells is evidence of a porous and unsecured border being exploited by groups intent on wrecking deadly havoc on American soil. The DHS alert was issued to police and sheriffs deputies in Houston, asking them to keep their eyes open for a Somali man named Mohamed Ali who is believed to be in Mexico preparing to make the illegal crossing into Texas. Officials believe Ali has ties to Al Shabaab, a Somali terrorist organization aligned with Al Qaeda, said Joan Neuhaus Schaan, the homeland security and terrorism fellow at Rice Universitys Baker Institute, who has seen the alert. An indictmen t was unsealed in Texas federal court earlier this month that revealed that a Somali man, Ahmed Muhammed Dhakane, led a human smuggling ring that brought East Africans, including Somalis with ties to terror groups, from Brazil and across the Mexican border and into Texas. In a separate case, Anthony Joseph Tracy, of Virginia, who admitted to having ties to Al Shabaab, is currently being prosecuted for his alleged role in an international ring that illegally brought more than 200 Somalis across the Mexican border. Prosecutors say Tracy used his Kenya-based travel business as a cover to fraudulently obtain Cuban travel documents for the Somalis. The smuggled Somalis are believed to have spread out across the United States and remain mostly at large, court records show. Somalis are classified by border and immigration officials as special interest illegal immigrants who get caught trying to cross the Mexican border into the U.S. who come from countries that are considered a high threat to the U.S., Neuhaus Schaan explained . DHS did not respond to multiple e-mail and phone requests for comment. In addition to the Somali immigration issue, Mexican smugglers are coaching some Middle Eastern immigrants before they cross the border schooling them on how to dress and giving them phrases to help them look and sound like Latinos, law enforcement sources told FoxNews.com. There have been a number of certain communities that have noticed this, villages in northern Mexico where Middle Easterners try to move into town and learn Spanish, Neuhaus Schaan said. People were changing their names from Middle Eastern names to Hispanic names. Security experts say the push by illegal immigrants to try to fit in also could be the realization of what officials have feared for years: Latin American drug cartels are helping jihadist groups bring terrorists across the Mexican border. J. Peter Pham, senior fellow and director of the Africa Project at the National Committee on American Foreign Policy, said that for the past ten years theres been suspicion by U.S. law enforcement that drug cartels could align with international terrorist organizations to bring would-be-jihadists into the U.S. That kind of collaboration is already being seen in Africa, said Dr. Walid Phares, director of the Future Terrorism Project at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. Al Qaeda could easily say, Ok, now we want your help getting these guys into the United States, Phares said. Eventually the federal government will pay more attention, but there is a window of time now where they can get anyone they want to get in already. Experts also say the DHS alert and recent court case highlights the threat of terrorists penetrating the Mexican/Texas border and the growing threat of Somali recruitment efforts to bring Americans of Somali descent back to Somalia for jihadist training, creating homegrown terrorists. Pham says the DHS alert comes too late. Theyre just covering themselves for the fact that DHS has been failing to date to deal effectively with this, he said. Theyre already here. Michael Weinstein, a political science professor at Purdue University and an expert on Somalia, said, In the past year, its become obvious that theres a spillover into the United States of the transnational revolutionaries in Somalia. Its something that certainly has to be watched, but I dont think its an imminent threat, he said. This has to be put in context with people smuggling everybody and their brother is getting into the United States through Mexico; I read last week that some Chinese were crossing, its just a big market. Pham disagrees. The real danger is something along the lines of jihadist version of find a classmate, he said, referring to Al Shabaabs potential to set up sleeper cells in the U.S. Most of them rely on personal referral and association. That type of social networking is not beyond their capabilities. Pham says the DHS alert is too little, too late. This is like shutting the barn door after t he horses got away, he said (Hoft, 2010). Date: June 3, 2010 Source: KVOA News Title/Headline: Pakistani Citizen Caught Crossing Border Into Arizona Abstract: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials confirm with News4, a Pakistani citizen crossed the border illegally from Mexico into Arizona on May 20th. ICE says the man was apprehended by Border Patrol on the Tohono O'odham reservation and turned over to ICE (KVOA News, 2010). Date: June 8, 2010 Source: Washington Examiner, Sara A. Carter Title/Headline: Drug Cartels Smuggling Illegals Create Security Risk, Officials Say Abstract: Smuggling of potential terrorists across the border is evolving into a billion dollar industry for Mexican drug cartels while posing a significant threat to the United States, according to federal law enforcement officials. That was echoed in a recent assessment by the U.S. military's Southern Command that found drug cartels are taking advantage of a "largely unregulated" border to create security risk for the United States. "Of particular concern is the smuggling of criminal aliens and gang members who pose public safety threats to communities throughout the border region and the country," said the Southern Command report obtained by The Washington Examiner. "These individuals include hundreds of undocumented aliens from special interest countries, primarily China, but also Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and Pakistan." Department of Homeland Security policy requires that many illegal immigrants from countries that have been breeding grounds for anti-American sentiment, known as "special interest aliens," be released unless there is specific evidence of threat. Most fail to appear for hearings. "We don't always know who we have in custody," said a DHS official who asked not to be named. "We still have a catch and release program, and we don't always know if those are good or bad guys. It's difficult to coordinate with our Mexican counterparts, and many times we have no idea who made it across with the aid of the cartels." Rafael Lemaitre, senior spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection with DHS, said "upon apprehension, DHS makes determinations on admissibility and custody of special interest aliens on a case-by-case basis based on a variety of factors, including legal

status, prior criminality and intelligence." In the first five years after Sept. 11, DHS reported a 41 percent increase in arrests of illegal immigrants from countries known to have large populations of terrorists from al Qaeda or other anti-U.S. groups. In 2008, the DHS Office of Immigration Statistics reported that federal law enforcement agencies detained 791,568 deportable aliens. According to the agency, 5,506 of them were special interest aliens. "Available reporting indicates that some alien smuggling organizations (ASOs) in Mexico specialize in moving special-interest aliens into the United States," stated a February 2010 National Drug Threat Assessment by the Department of Justice. The DOJ threat assessment said no known terrorists had been apprehended at the U.S. border in the past five years. That did not surprise federal law enforcement agents and intelligence officers interviewed by The Examiner. They pointed out that reports on foreign nationals with terrorist ties caught at the border would not be made readily available to the public. "As the cartels begin to realize the enormous amount of funding that's available in transporting special interest aliens, they'll do more of it," said a military official with knowledge of cartel operations. "We need to be mindful because this type of human smuggling is a definite threat to security and human smuggling is a billion dollar industry." n The Examiner first reported in March on the apprehension of 23 Somali illegal aliens in Mexico who were released in January by Mexican immigration officials. It was later discovered by U.S. intelligence and Mexican authorities that one of the men was a member of the Somali terrorist organization al Shabab, which has direct ties to al Qaeda. So far, the men have not been located. In 2006, a federal report documented that a man who called himself Miguel Alfonso Salinas was apprehended by chance off a deserted highway near the U.S.-Mexico border in New Mexico. He was just one of 165,000 persons from countries other than Mexico who were apprehended that year. Of those, 650 were from special interest countries. After a week of interrogations, the FBI discovered Salinas was really an Egyptian by the name of Ayman Sulmane Kamal. He was taken into custody, and no further information about him has been released by the federal government. The Kamal case was an "example of getting lucky," a U.S. official said. "Just think, for every one that is captured, maybe two or three people from special interest nations get through. We don't know who they are or if they're planning anything -- we just keep hoping that we'll keep getting lucky (Carter, 2010). Date: June 21, 2010 Source: ABC News, Steve Irvin Title/Headline: Terrorists Crossing AZ Border Into U.S.? Abstract: On a single day in April, in a special cell block deep inside the Pinal County Jail, nearly 400 inmates sat awaiting trial or extradition after being detained trying to cross the Arizona border from Mexico. Only about half of them were actually from Mexico. The cell block, owned by Pinal County, but contracted with the Department of Homeland Security, is a way station in the immigration process, where inmates are held after they are detained by the Border Patrol or Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But its where the inmates are from that causes concern for some critics and lawmakers. On that one day in April, according to records obtained by ABC 15, Homeland Security officials were holding inmates from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, Lebanon, and the Sudan. Theyre coming from all over, Arizona Senator Jon Kyl said. And one wonders whether some of them are coming in here to commit acts of terror. Kyl has been tracking the problem since 2002, not long after the September 11 attacks. Since that time, according to an investigation by the House Committee on Homeland Security, intelligence officials have determined members of the terror group Hezbollah have already infiltrated the U.S. by crossing at the southern border. ICE officials told congressional investigators, undocumented immigrants were smuggled from the Middle East to staging areas in Central and South America, before being smuggled into the U.S. The report says officials are also concerned about Venezuela emerging as a terrorist hub, with the government there issuing travel documents that can be used to obtain a U.S. visa. Border patrol agents have also recovered militarystyle patches on clothing near the border. One patch contains the word martyr in Arabic. Another depicts a plane appearing to fly into sky scrapers. In 2009, according to Homeland Security documents obtained by ABC 15, ICE officials detained 45,279 undocumented immigrants classified as OTM. While the vast majority were from other Central American countries like El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, officials also arrested 10 undocumented immigrants from Iran, 10 from Iraq, six from Lebanon and 19 from Pakistan. Through May of [2010], officials had detained more than 25,000 OTM border crossers. Theres a procedure which takes place, where, in effect, if we cant send them back, theyre let go, Senator Kyl said. Obviously that creates an illegal immigration problem, but it could create a problem of terrorism as well (Irvin, 2010). Date: June 28, 2010 Source: CNS News, Adam Cassandra Title/Headline: Napolitano: Youre Never Going To Totally Seal That Border Abstract: Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, whose agency is charged with securing Americas borders, told an audience in Washington, D.C., in reference to the U.S.-Mexico border, Youre never going to totally seal that border. Napolitano spoke and answered questions at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on Securing the Border: A Smarter Law Enforcement Approach. When asked if she could give a timeline on when the border would be secured, Napolitano said, The pla in fact of the matter is the border is as secure now as it has ever been, but we know we can always do more. And that will always be the case. Its a big border, she said. Its 1,960 miles across that Southwest border. Its some of the roughest, toughest geographical terrain in the world across that border. And so, the notion that youre going to seal that border somehow is something that anybody whos been involved in the actual doing of law enforcement--the front office work or the front line work of the law enforcement--would say, Youre never going to totally seal that border. Napolitano was also asked if she thought that Republicans withholding support for comprehensive immigration reform until the border is secured was political posturing. The notion that youre gonna somehow seal the border, and only at that point will you discuss immigration reform, that is not an answer to the problem, she said. At a tow n hall meeting recently, Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl told a group of constituents that in a closed-door meeting with President Barack Obama, the president told him, The problem is if we secure the border, then you all won't have any reason to support comprehensive immigration reform. In other words, Kyl said, they're holding it hostage. They dont wanna secure the border unless and until it is combined with comprehensive immigration reform (Cassandra, 2010).

Date: July 6, 2010 Source: Haaretz Title/Headline: Mexico Thwarts Hezbollah Bid To Set Up South American Network Abstract: Mexico foiled an attempt by Hezbollah to establish a network in South America, a Kuwaiti newspaper reported . Hezbollah operatives employed Mexicans nationals with family ties to Lebanon to set up the network, designed to target Israel and the West, the Al-Seyassah daily said. According to the report, Mexican police mounted a surveillance operation on the group's leader, Jameel Nasr, who traveled frequently to Lebanon to receive information and instructions from Hezbollah commanders there. Police say Nasr also made frequent trips to other countries in Latin America, including a two-month stay in Venezuela in the summer of 2008. Nasr was living in Tijuana, Mexico at the time of his arrest, the report said. The report follows warnings from the United States that Hezbollah and its backer Iran are stepping up operations in the region. In June, a U.S. congresswoman wrote to the Department of Homeland Security to warn that Hezbollah was increasing its presence in Central and South America. In her letter, Congresswoman Sue Myrick called on the U.S. to work with Mexican forces, as there was intelligence that Hezbollah was working in conjunction with Mexican drug cartels on the U.S.-Mexico border. "We have seen... an increase in a wide level of activity by the Iranian government in this region," Admiral James Stavridis told the Senate Armed Services Committee. "That is a concern principally because of the connections between the government of Iran, which is a state sponsor of terrorism, and Hezbollah," he said. In February a U.S. court in Miami indicted three men for raising funds for Hezbollah, which the U.S. classifies as a terrorist organization (Haaretz, 2010). Date: July 11, 2010 Source: New York Daily News Title/Headline: Close To Home: Hezbollah Terrorists Are Plotting Right On The U.S. Border Abstract: Speaking of the Islamist enemy cropping up in unlikely places, Iran's favorite terrorist outfit, Hezbollah - a menace to Israel and Lebanon - has been caught plotting right in our backyard. For years, experts who already have their hands full with the persistent threat of Al Qaeda have warned of the rise of Hezbollah in our midst. The day has arrived. Mexican authorities have rolled up a Hezbollah network being built in Tijuana, right across the border from Texas and closer to American homes than the terrorist hideouts in the Bekaa Valley are to Israel. Over the years, Hezbollah - rich with Iranian oil money and narcocash - has generated revenue by cozying up with Mexican cartels to smuggle drugs and people into the U.S. In this, it has shadowed the terrorist-sponsoring regime in Tehran, which has been forging close ties with Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, who in turn supports the narcoterrorist organization FARC, which wreaks all kinds of havoc throughout the region. Adm. James Stavridis, then head of the U.S. Southern Command, which includes Latin America, warned a Senate committee hearing: "We see Hezbollah acting throughout the region in proselytizing, fund-raising, involved in the drug trade." Now they are right across the Rio Grande - a stone's throw (NY Daily News, 2010).

Date: July 16, 2010 Source: Press TV Title/Headline: Car Bomb At US-Mexico Border Kills 3 Abstract: The explosion of a car bomb ramming into two police vehicles in northern Mexico has killed three people, including two policemen. Nine people were also wounded in the attack, including seven officers; AP quoted a state police officer as saying. The police official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the car had apparently been carrying some kind of explosive or inflammable device when it rammed the police pickup trucks. Mexican soldiers and law enforcement officers have been attacked with grenades and powerful rifles before but explosives have rarely been used. According to the Associated Press, throughout the country there have been more than 23,000 killings linked to drug violence since December 2006 (Press TV, 2010). Date: August 2, 2010 Source: The Washington Post, Associated Press, E. Eduardo Castillo Title/Headline: Mexico Prez: Cartels Show No 'Limits Or Scruples' Abstract: President Felipe Calderon said that Mexico is facing a new stage in its war with drug cartels as gangs escalate their attacks on the government and civilians, including journalists. Speaking at a meeting with representatives of business and civic groups, Calderon said organized crime groups have demonstrated they have no "limits or moral scruples" and are trying to instill fear in officials and civilians alike. "We face a new stage in insecurity," he said, noting this year's assassination of a gubernatorial candidate in a border state and the recent kidnappings of journalists. "We have witnessed an escalation of violent crime in our country (Castillo, 2010). Date: October 4, 2010 Source: CNS News, Terence P. Jeffrey Title/Headline: Congressman Introduces Bill To Force Obama To Deploy At Least 10,000 National Guardsmen At Mexican Border Abstract: Rep. Ted Poe (R.-Texas), who served for 30 years as a Texas prosecutor and judge before being elected to

Congress, introduced legislation last week designed to force President Barack Obama to deploy a minimum of 10,000 National Guard troops at the U.S. Mexico border for the specific purpose of patrolling the border and intercepting aliens and smugglers attempting to cross illegally into the United States. The president could put more than that, but he must put 10,000, Poe told CNSNews.com. The uniqueness of this is they would be paid by the federal government, because everybody says it is the responsibility of the federal government to protect the border. So the federal government will use the resources it already has to pay for those 10,000 National Guard troops, but they will be supervised by the governors of the four states on the border. Poe, who serves on the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism and the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, told CNSNews.com in a videotaped interview that America was projecting such a weak image around the world in failing to protect its southern border that people were traveling from all around the world to Mexico so they could enter the U.S. illegally from there. Every country in the world knows the United States will not protect the sovereignty of its country, and will not protect especially the southern border, said Poe. So, when someone wants to come to the United States, they figure out a way to come to Mexico and then come to the United States. Poe said that the 1,200 National Guard troops that Obama sent to the 2,000-mile-long border region this summer are not actually working to secure the border. They are not on the border, they are behind the border, said Poe. Theyre doing surveillance work, guarding computers, if you will. By contrast, the 10,000 National Guardsmen that would be deployed by Poes bill would be charged with defending the border itself. These troops will be actually on the border and they will do what the National Guard is supposed to do, Poe told CNSNews.com.The bill has 20 original co -sponsors. But, so far, has no Democratic co-sponsors. The original co-sponsors are: Rep. Lamar Smith (TX-21), Rep. Pete Sessions (TX-32), Rep. Pete Olson (TX-22), Rep. Sam Johnson (TX-03), Rep. John Carter (TX31), Rep. Kay Granger (TX-12), Rep. Kenny Marchant (TX-24), Rep. Ralph Hall (TX-04), Rep. Ed Royce (CA-40), Rep. Joe Barton (TX06), Rep. John Culberson (TX-07), Rep. Louie Gohmert (TX-01), Rep. Kevin Brady (TX-08), Rep. Michael McCaul (TX-10), Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (MD-06), Rep. Pete Hoekstra (MI-02), Rep. John Shadegg (AZ-03), Rep. John Fleming (LA-04), Rep. Sam Graves (MO-06) and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (CA-46). Poe said he hopes the next Congress will act on his legislation next year (Jeffrey, 2010). Date: November 15, 2010 Source: Fox News, Casey Stegall Title/Headline: America's Third War: National Guard's New Mission Abstract: There are many theories on how to effectively secure the nearly 2,000-mile-long border the United States shares with Mexico. Some believe building a fence to separate us from our southern neighbor is the best route while others think adding additional surveillance equipment and Border Patrol checkpoints will help decrease the number of illegal immigrants and drugs entering America. One thing virtually everyone close to the border security issue can agree on: America seems to be waging a third war with the Mexican cartels that will stop at nothing to smuggle humans and drugs into our homeland and the national security threat it poses. One of the more popular ideas on how to secure the region is through the deployment of troops and creation of a strong military presence along the border. In May, President Obama gave the green light for up to 1,200 National Guard troops to be assigned to the four southwest border states. In late September, armed troops started trickling in and working alongside U.S. Border Patrol agents, but the ramp up period is a gradual process since it takes a great deal of time to train the soldiers for their new mission. According to the National Guard Bureau, nearly 1,200 troops are at work on border issues as of Monday: 263 in California, 561 in Arizona, 80 in New Mexico, 284 in Texas and 10 others assigned to border issues at the National Guard Bureau in Virginia. The deployment is expected to last one year although no official end date has been made public. The troops are primarily being used in a supportive role by assisting the army of Border Patrol agents already covering the miles of shared border and the 42 U.S.-Mexico crossings. Their jobs range from keeping a close eye on the border fence in search of people trying to cross illegally, to helping make apprehensions and completing paperwork. The mission is also designed to give Border Patrol some breathing room until it can hire more than 1,000 additional agents for the field. Soldiers don't have the authority to detain a suspected illegal immigrant. They're essentially acting as extra eyes and ears for the agents and theyve certainly got their work cut out for them when you consider close to 1 million illegal immigrants are estimated to attempt entry into the U.S. each year, according to Customs and Border Protection . Since guardsmen have only been in place for a short time, it's difficult to gauge how much of an impact they're having. History shows that their sheer presence has served as a deterrent in the past. In 2006, President George W. Bush ordered thousands of National Guard troops to the border, as part of Operation Jump Start. The program lasted two years and at its height, as many as 6,000 soldiers and airmen were deployed at one time. During that period, the number of illegal immigrant arrests went down roughly 24 percent and as much as 70 percent in some sectors of Arizona. During that mission, soldiers not only assisted Border Patrol agents, but also helped physically build parts of the border fence and additional infrastructure. Many residents in southwest border states are grateful for the additional help and most feel the 1,200 troops are a nice start, but some living in border towns -- where violence is spilling over into their backyards -- say President Obama's administration could be doing more and devoting even more resources. Sheriff Paul Babeu of Pinal County, Ariz., told Fox News he'd like to see a contingency of troops similar to Operation Jump Start. Babeu said Arizona needs even more help because the state faces unique challenges since the border there is more porous thanks to the rugged Sonoran desert. Estimates say roughly half of all illegal immigrants entering the U.S. do so through Arizona, which is why Babeu is seeking more assistance. Babeu and U.S. Sen. John McCain have extended an invitation to Obama to visit the situation firsthand but the president has yet to make a trip. Babeu said far more than 1,200 troops will be needed to make a dent in the escalating war between the U.S. and the Mexican cartels. For now, many residents are excited the ball appears to be rolling in the right direction. Most understand securing the border won't happen overnight, but hope it happens sooner than later (Stegall, 2010).

Date: January 27, 2011 Source: Fox News, William La Jeunesse Title/Headline: Iranian Book Celebrating Suicide Bombers Found In Arizona Desert Abstract: A book celebrating suicide bombers has been found in the Arizona desert just north of the U.S.- Mexican border, authorities tell Fox News. The book, "In Memory of Our Martyrs," was spotted Tuesday by a U.S. Border Patrol agent out of the Casa Grande substation who was patrolling a route known for smuggling illegal immigrants and drugs. Published in Iran, it consists of short biographies of Islamic suicide bombers and other Islamic militants who died carrying out attacks. According to internal U.S. Customs and Border Protection documents, "The book also includes letters from suicide attackers to their families, as well as some of their last wills and testaments." Each biographical page contains "the terrorist's name, date of death, and how they died." Agents also say that the book appears to have been exposed to weather in the desert "for at least several days or weeks. Authorities told Fox News that there were no people in the area at the time the book was found, and no arrests have been made in connection with it. "At this time, DHS does not have any credible information on terrorist groups operating along the Southwest border," a Department of Homeland Security official said in a statement. "We work closely with our partners in the law enforcement and intelligence communities and as a matter of due diligence and law enforcement best practice, report anything found, no matter how significant or insignificant it may seem." Statements from U.S. officials, including FBI director Robert Mueller, have raised serious concerns in recent years over "OTMs" -- or illegal immigrants other than Mexicans -- who have crossed the southwest border at alarming rates. Mueller testified before the House Appropriations Committee in March 2005 that "there are individuals from countries with known Al Qaeda connections who are changing their Islamic surnames to Hispanic-sounding names and obtaining false Hispanic identities, learning to speak Spanish and pretending to be Hispanic." Just last year, the Department of Homeland Security had in custody thousands of detainees from Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. U.S. Border Patrol statistics indicate that there were 108,025 OTMs detained in 2006, compared to 165,178 in 2005 and 44,614 in 2004. Authorities would not release a picture of the book to Fox News, or reveal how long they believe it was lying in the desert. Immigration officials have previously discovered items along the U.S.-Mexico border from Middle Eastern origin, including Iranian currency in Zapata, Texas, and a jacket found in Jim Hogg County, Texas, that was covered in patches including an Arabic military badge that illustrates an airplane flying into a tower (La Jeunesse, 2011).

Conclusion: It is no wonder why the U.S./Mexican border has been left virtually open for the last 30 years, for it will serve its purpose
when an alleged nuke is smuggled across the border. The only way Americans will accept the North American Union (merger of the US, Mexico, and Canada) is if a nuclear terror attack occurs and is blamed on the open border with Mexico. In order to be safe, Americans will accept anything, even at the detriment of their own Nations sovereignty.