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FBI: Iraqis Being Smuggled Across the Rio Grande
July 17, 2007 3:11 PM
The FBI is investigating an alleged human smuggling operation based in Chaparral, N.M., that agents say is bringing "Iraqis and other Middle Eastern" individuals across the Rio Grande from Mexico.
An FBI intelligence report distributed by the Washington, D.C. Joint Terrorism Task Force, obtained by the Blotter on ABCNews.com, says the illegal ring has been bringing Iraqis across the border illegally for more than a year.
Border Patrol officials in the area said they were unaware of the specifics of the FBI's report, and federal prosecutors in New Mexico told ABCNews.com they had no current cases involving the illegal smuggling of Iraqis.
The FBI report, issued last week, says the smuggling organization "used to smuggle Mexicans, but decided to smuggle Iraqi or other Middle Eastern individuals because it was more lucrative." Each individual would be charged a fee of $20,000 to $25,000, according to the report.
The people to be smuggled would "gather at a house on the Mexican side of the border" and then cross the Rio Grande into the U.S., the report says.
"Unidentified individuals would then transport them to train stations in El Paso, Texas or Belen, New Mexico," according to the FBI document.
A spokesman in Albuquerque said the FBI had "no viable information" that could lead to a case.
Until recently, the United States has kept its doors all but shut to the estimated two million refugees fleeing the violence in Iraq. Until this year, the country had taken in fewer than 800 Iraqi refugees, according to the State Department. This May, the Bush administration pledged to resettle 7,000 Iraqi refugees here by the end of the year.
This post has been updated.
Click Here for Full Blotter Coverage.
July 17, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (597)
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We in Texas have known about this for more than a year; its been on our LOCAL TV and LOCAL radio news reports. Last year, if I remember correctly, the executive branch tried to make the story "softly go away."
Posted by: Ken | Jul 17, 2007 3:38:39 PM
End Human Trafficking...Export White House and Congress!
Posted by: Ron Brinn | Jul 17, 2007 3:41:37 PM
When was that last terrorist attack? Was it September 11, 2001 or September 11, 201? How soon we have forgotten. Our government is acting like it's ancient history.
Posted by: Buck | Jul 17, 2007 3:42:22 PM
What happens when the Dems take office and we have another 9/11? Most likely... nothing different at all. Until we meet force with greater force, this will always be as it is.
Posted by: Jason | Jul 17, 2007 3:43:10 PM
Shalom:
It seems that our government needs to wake-up and work together for the common good of America. While we are being threatened by Terrorists, Congress is too busy playing silly games and not doing the work of the people. Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem.
Posted by: Joseph benJudah | Jul 17, 2007 3:43:50 PM
This is a Nation allowed by GOD to be a place of REFUGE from Tyranny. It's the State Department that has reduced the numbers and added many years of WAITING to get into this country is the MAIN reason for this illegal immigration problem. SHAME on the State Department!
Posted by: Daniel | Jul 17, 2007 3:44:17 PM
too bad our government refuses to secure our borders despite the massive risk it poses, unless big business gets a never ending supply of cheap labor.
Posted by: American | Jul 17, 2007 3:44:18 PM
Rome is burning and the barbarians are at the gate and in Washington DC, Nero and our Roman senators fiddle. Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.
Posted by: disraeli | Jul 17, 2007 3:45:05 PM
So this is not brain surgery - someone half way around the world could pick up any us national newspaper and figure out that across the Rio is the easiest way into the country. When are they going to get the border fixed? Oh that's right - it is better to take the fight to them in Iraq.
Posted by: crock | Jul 17, 2007 3:45:17 PM
Good call veritas! I've been nervous about that possibility since Gulf War I. I wondered why Saddam never trained a thousand or so of his boys for this type of infiltration.
Posted by: Brad | Jul 17, 2007 3:45:42 PM
Only one solution tell everyone you know to vote nothing but 3rd party candidates for president and congress. Not even independents are trustworthy, vote a whole multitude of other 3rd party candidates to send a wake up call. God forbid there is another 9/11, if so..you will see vigilantism and a revolt that will make the Boston Tea Party look like sesame street.
Posted by: Shane | Jul 17, 2007 3:46:10 PM
Brian, you're going to have to get another URL soon. the RLL (Rush Limbaugh Loonies) are just lurking here to pounce on anything you write.
Posted by: Bob | Jul 17, 2007 3:47:57 PM
This is disgusting. Every time I see Bush I keep thinking of the movie, The Caine Mutiny. If you don't know what I'm talking about, rent the video. Our 'leaders' have done nothing to protect us. I can't even stand to watch him on the news any more--he makes me sick.
Posted by: margaret | Jul 17, 2007 3:48:14 PM
How strange, as soon as Mr. Bush's (sic) (reputation) further drops, out comes yet another report of Illegal Immigration.
No proof, no smoking gun, just more Bush rhetoric.
Posted by: Stuart | Jul 17, 2007 3:48:17 PM
Having read these comments what comes to mind is the question of what's more scary? The outside threat of terrorism, or the inside threat of totalitarianism? People are calling to completely seal off the US borders? What, build a wall around the entire United States? Just the southern border, how about the Canadian border? Create a military police state? Anybody remember the Berlin Wall??? Is that what you want? Shoot anyone who tries to cross over??? Bring up Bush on murder charges??? In case you haven’t heard, Bush OK’d a plan to increase the Border Patrol numbers by 30,000. We already have the military deployed along the border. What more do you want, military check points on every road and highway in the US? Gee, we can be just like the old Soviet Union. Do you have your traveling permit and papers in order comrade??? You don’t mind if we search your vehicle at gunpoint do you, since you have nothing to hide???
Posted by: randy | Jul 17, 2007 3:48:51 PM
This is impossible. Everybody KNOWS that "We're fighting them over there so we won't have to fight them over here". So obviously, all the terrorists are over there, not here. This is just more liberal mainstream media...Rush and Sean told me so.
Posted by: wilder5121 | Jul 17, 2007 3:49:30 PM
The Border Patrol, there every day, are "unaware" of such a smuggling operation. Federal prosecutors in New Mexico have no such cases. The FBI in New Mexico has "no comment".
In the context of these past couple of weeks of totally unsubstantiated "booga booga" propaganda emanating from the oligarchs in Washington, it's clear that yet another false flag operation is in the works.
When did the former United States become a land of zombies willing to believe anything just because the government said so? When did transparent propaganda become confused with "news"?
Posted by: Rod | Jul 17, 2007 3:50:31 PM
SEAL OFF THE BORDERS. If Israel can do it and be successful, so can we. I'm afraid this country is headed for a civil war if our 'leaders' continue to sellout. We, the people, are getting fed up.
Posted by: Paige | Jul 17, 2007 3:51:03 PM
As a campaign worker for Bush in both elections, he has lost my support over this immigration nonsense! Wow. Middle easterners coming across the Mexican border. Who would have thought THAT would happen?! Until we secure our borders and start sending the criminals back to Mexico and wherever else they came from, we are fooling ourselves thinking that we have ANY Homeland "Security!" You want to come to the U.S.? Get in line in YOUR own country!
Posted by: Me | Jul 17, 2007 3:51:10 PM
Yay, something else to blame bush for. If I'm not mistaken, aren't most of the Democrats the ones who pushed to keep our borders open? I hope I am wrong because all these people wouldn't have anything to complain about.
Posted by: Dell | Jul 17, 2007 3:51:43 PM
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