Agents with Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) have apprehended a suspected terrorist affiliated with Hamas who was hiding out in Louisiana, and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson used the opportunity to expose how the open border that seemingly existed during the Biden Administration put Americans at risk.
Announcing as much in a press statement released on October 17, the Department of Justice said, “Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub Al-Muhtadi, 33, a Gazan native currently residing in Lafayette, Louisiana, was arrested yesterday for his alleged involvement in the Hamas-led terrorist attack against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.”
Later on, the DOJ exposed to what particular terrorist groups Mahmoud was allegedly connected, saying, “According to court documents, Al-Muhtadi is an operative for the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine’s (DFLP) military wing, the National Resistance Brigades (NRB, also known as the Martyr Umar al-Qasim Forces), a Gaza-based paramilitary group that participated in the Hamas-led terrorist attack against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.”
Continuing, it noted that cell tower evidence puts him in close proximity to where one of the more notable atrocities occured, saying, “As alleged, on the morning of Oct. 7, 2023, Al-Muhtadi learned about the Hamas invasion, armed himself, gathered others, and crossed into Israel with the intention of assisting in Hamas’s terrorist attack. According to the complaint, Al-Muhtadi’s phone utilized a cell tower located near Kibbutz Kfar Aza in Israel – the location of a horrifying massacre by Hamas and its supporters resulting in the deaths of many civilians, including at least four American citizens.”
It further noted that he then lied to get into the United States when the Biden Administration was still in charge, saying, “In addition, Al-Muhtadi allegedly provided false information in his U.S. visa application relating to his involvement with a paramilitary organization, connection to Hamas, participation in a terrorist attack, and military training. Al-Muhtadi swore to the accuracy of numerous materially false statements in his visa application with respect to at least his affiliation with DFLP, the NRB, and Hamas, his training, and his involvement in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. According to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection records, Al-Muhtadi entered the United States on Sept. 12, 2024.”
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson commented on the matter when he appeared on Fox News Channel’s “The Sunday Briefing” on Sunday, October 19, explaining that America is at risk of terror attacks because of Biden’s open border, and so the idea that terrorists have been caught in our border is both frightening and a relief, saying, “I had no idea. It’s alarming to all of us, but I’m certainly glad that we have an administration who is prioritizing rounding up these dangerous people. It’s a great relief to a lot of folks down there.”
Continuing, Johnson explained, commenting on how the Biden Administration’s policies led to this, “They had a wide-open border.” He continued, commenting on the massive scale of the problem, “We know that terrorists got across the border, and I don’t think anybody on planet Earth can discern exactly how many. We’ll be living with the threat and the ramifications of that open border, probably for the rest of our lives.”
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Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg, for his part, said that arresting this alleged terrorist is a major step forward in keeping Americans safe, syaing, “As set forth in documents filed yesterday, on October 7, when Al-Muhtadi learned of the unfolding barbaric attack on Israel and civilians from multiple nations, including the United States, he sprang into action. He armed himself, recruited additional marauders, and then entered Israel, where there is evidence placing him near one of the worst-hit Israeli communities. Subsequently, Al-Muhtadi fraudulently obtained a visa to enter the United States where he hoped to remain undetected. This arrest is the first public step in bringing to justice those responsible for harming Americans on that day.”
Watch DHS Secretary Kristi Noem explain how Democrats and their rhetoric are putting ICE agents at risk here: