Showing posts with label terrorism. Show all posts

Saturday, May 2, 2026

My Threatcon Column: Homemade Bomb Throwers Plead Not Guilty

Counterterrorism magazine posted my online Threatcon column on the homemade bomb throwers in New York City pleading not guilty.

You can read the column via the link below or the following text:

IACSP - ThreatCon Articles

On April 15^th, Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, pleaded not guilty to charges that they attempted to detonate two explosive devices in the vicinity of Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the New York City mayor in Manhattan, and that they were acting in support of ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization.

The plea was surprising to me, considering that there are clear videos of the two men hurling the homemade bombs at anti-Islam protestors outside the mayor’s home, and there are also videos of the two bomb throwers being tackled and arrested by NYPD officers afterwards.

Back on March 10^th, the Department of Justice announced the charges against Balat and Kayumi.

“This was an alleged ISIS-inspired act of terrorism that could have killed American citizens,” said then-Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will not allow ISIS’s poisonous, anti-American ideology to threaten this nation—our law enforcement officers will remain vigilant, as they were when these devices were brought to a protest.”

Then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche added, “These men allegedly sought to inflict mass casualties in service to ISIS with the hope of exceeding the carnage of the Boston Marathon bombing, We are tremendously grateful to the brave law enforcement officers who ran into harm’s way to apprehend these individuals and disarm the explosives before anyone was harmed. Thanks to the quick investigative work by federal law enforcement, this Department of Justice will prosecute these men who pledged allegiance to a foreign terrorist organization to the fullest extent.”

FBI Director Kash Patel also weighed in, “The defendants allegedly support ISIS and tried to follow the path of that deadly group by attempting to detonate explosive devices in a crowd. The FBI and our partners have no tolerance for terrorist organizations or those inspired by them to engage in attacks. We are committed to stopping acts of violence and will hold accountable those who seek to harm our citizens. I want to commend the brave NYPD officers who took action to prevent injuries or loss of life on the streets of New York.”

As alleged in the Complaint, On or about March 7, 2026, a protest called “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City, Stop New York City Public Muslim Prayer” and a counter-protest called “Run Nazis Out of New York City” were held outside of Gracie Mansion.

“At approximately 12:15 p.m., Balat ignited and threw an explosive device, Device 1, toward the area where the protesters were gathered. Immediately after throwing Device-1, Balat ran to another location down the block and received a second explosive device (Device-2) from Kayumi. After apparently igniting Device-2, Balat dropped Device-2 near where several NYPD officers were standing, ran away from the NYPD officers, and jumped over a barricade. He was tackled and arrested by NYPD officers shortly thereafter, as was Kayumi,” the Complaint noted.

“Following his arrest, while en route to the NYPD precinct, Balat stated to NYPD officers: “this isn’t a religion that just stands when people talk about the blessed name of the prophet . . . We take action! We take action!”; and “if I didn’t do it someone else will come and do it.” Then, after arriving at the NYPD precinct, Balat requested a piece of paper and, after being given a paper and pen, wrote the following: “All praise is due to Allah lord of all worlds! I pledge my allegiance to the Islamic State. Die in your rage yu [sic] kuffar! Emir B.” “Kuffar” is an Arabic term that refers to “non-believers” or “infidels,” and “Die in your rage” is a slogan used by ISIS.”

Law enforcement officers later asked Balat if he was familiar with the Boston Marathon bombing, and if that was what Balat had hoped to accomplish. Balat responded: “No, even bigger. It was only three deaths.”

After Kayumi was arrested, and as he was being placed inside an NYPD vehicle to be transported from the scene to an NYPD precinct, an individual from the surrounding crowd yelled to Kayumi and asked why Kayumi had done this. Kayumi responded, “ISIS.” Then, at the NYPD precinct, in response to a question from law enforcement about whether he was affiliated with ISIS, Kayumi indicated that he was. He further stated, in substance and part, that: (i) he has watched ISIS propaganda on his phone; (ii) his actions that day were partly inspired by ISIS; (iii) he did not feel comfortable holding the Devices earlier that day; and (iv) he would not feel comfortable if the Devices were in the interrogation room with him.

After Balat and Kayumi were arrested and the Devices were secured, an FBI Special Agent Bomb Technician (SABT) conducted a preliminary examination of the Devices and determined that they were each approximately the size of a mason jar; that they each had an attached fuse; and that they each had nuts and bolts attached to the exterior, surrounded by duct tape. A preliminary analysis of Device-1, the device that Balat threw into the crowd of protesters, showed that it contained TATP, a highly volatile explosive that is colloquially known as the “Mother of Satan” and extremely sensitive to impact, friction, and heat. TATP has been used in multiple terrorist attacks over the last decade.

The Justice Department stated that on or about March 8, 2026, law enforcement officers located a parked vehicle registered to a family member of Balat a few blocks from Gracie Mansion. From inside the vehicle, law enforcement officers recovered a coiled green material consistent in appearance with hobby fuse, an empty metal can of the same approximate dimensions and appearance as the can recovered from inside Device-1, and a notebook containing handwritten notes. One page of the notebook contains the note “TATP explosive”; another page contains a list of chemical ingredients, including “hydrogen peroxide,” “sulfuric acid,” and “acetone”; and a third page contains a list of components and quantities, such as “aluminum can x6,” and “a box of bolts ect [sic] 2x.”

Balat, 18, of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, and Kayumi, 19, of Newtown, Pennsylvania, are charged with attempted provision of material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; use of a weapon of mass destruction, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; transportation of explosive materials, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; interstate transportation and receipt of explosives, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and unlawful possession of destructive devices, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Their next court date is June 16.

Paul Davis’ Threatcon column covers crime, espionage and terrorism.

Sunday, February 8, 2026

Third Coconspirator In Fatal Benghazi Attacks In U.S. Custody, Charged In Washington D.C. With Murder and Terrorism Counts

On Friday, February 6, 2026, the U.S. Justice Department announced that Zubavar Al-Balkoush was charged with multiple charges concerning the Benghazi Embassy attack in Libya in 2012:

Zubayar Al-Bakoush, an armed coconspirator in the 2012 attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, that killed U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans, was charged in an eight-count indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court on multiple terrorism and murder counts.

Bakoush, who is in federal custody, is expected to make his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Moxila A. Upadhyaya for the District of Columbia.

“The terrorist attack on our Benghazi Embassy was a dark and tragic day for our nation that robbed us of four American heroes,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Now, thanks to our brave federal agents, one of its alleged key participants will be prosecuted in an American courtroom on American soil. Under President Trump’s leadership, this Department of Justice will never rest in our mission to Make America Safe Again and deliver swift, severe justice to our enemies.”

"The FBI and our U.S. government partners have worked tirelessly to hold accountable those responsible for the heinous terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya that resulted in the deaths of the U.S. Ambassador, J. Christopher Stevens and U.S. government personnel Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The latest result of our efforts is bringing Zubayar Al-Bakoush to the U.S. to face charges for his alleged role in the attacks against our citizens and our facilities in Libya. You can be assured that no matter how long it takes, or where you are located, the FBI remains steadfast in our duty to see justice served against those who harm our citizens. I’m grateful to the men and women of the FBI for their unrelenting efforts to bring us to where we stand today – this defendant will be prosecuted on U.S. soil.”

“Today’s indictment against Zubayar Al-Bakoush is indicative of President Trump’s resolve to hold accountable anyone who harms Americans, no matter where,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro for the District of Columbia. “Al-Bakoush is now on U.S. soil, because the FBI and Department of Justice never forgot those Americans who were seemingly forgotten in that outpost in Benghazi, Libya. President Trump, Attorney General Bondi, FBI Director Patel, and I will do whatever it takes, no matter how long it takes, to pursue justice for the victims and their families.”

“Over thirteen years have passed since the 2012 attack in Libya, and over eight since the last arrest in this case, but the Department of Justice’s resolve has not wavered,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “We never forgot those four Americans who were killed in service of our Nation, and we will continue to seek justice for them, their families, and for the United States.”

“In September 2012, Zubayar Al-Bakoush allegedly facilitated the terrorist attack on the United States Mission and Annex in Benghazi in which four Americans – including an ambassador – were murdered in an effort to incite additional violence against our country’s presence in Libya” said James Barnacle, Assistant Director in Charge of New York Field Office. “This bloody campaign waged unnecessary brutality against Americans and forever altered the lives of the victims’ families. May today’s significant disruption send a clear message: the FBI New York’s Joint Terrorism Task Force will never cease its tireless pursuit of any terrorist involved in the massacre of our nation’s citizens, regardless of when or where the onslaught occurred.”

The indictment charges Bakoush with:

Conspiracy to Provide Material Support and Resources to Terrorists Resulting in Death
Providing Material Support and Resources to Terrorists Resulting in Death
Murder of an Internationally Protected Person
Murder of a United States National Outside of the United States (Two Counts)
Attempted Murder of a United States National Outside of the United States
Arson and Placing Lives in Jeopardy Within the Special Maritime and Territorial

Jurisdiction of the United States and Attempting to Do the Same

Maliciously Destroying and Injuring Property and Placing Lives in Jeopardy within the Special Maritime and Territorial Jurisdiction of the United States and Attempting to Do the Same

The charges stem from the Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist attack on the U.S. Special Mission and nearby CIA Annex that killed Ambassador Stevens and U.S. government personnel Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty.

According to the indictment, Bakoush was a member of Ansar Al Sharia (AAS), an Islamist extremist militia in Benghazi, which had the goal of establishing Sharia law in Libya.

On the evening of Sept. 11, 2012, a group of more than 20 heavily armed men – including Bakoush assembled outside the main gate of the U.S Special Mission in Benghazi. They were armed with assault rifles, other firearms, and explosive devices. At about 9:45 p.m., the group of armed men violently breached the main gate of the Mission. Upon entry, the men fanned out across the Mission complex, setting fires to building within the Mission compound.

When the attackers could not gain entry to the secure area of Villa C, the Ambassador’s residence, they set fire to it. Ambassador Stevens and Mr. Smith suffocated from the thick, black smoke that enveloped the residence. Diplomatic Security Services (DSS) Special Agent Scott Wickland, who had tried to guide Ambassador Stevens and Mr. Smith to safety, was injured and repeatedly took small arms fire while trying to rescue the two Americans.

The extremist group also attacked the Quick Reaction Force building, which was occupied by local Libyans serving as guards for the Mission.

About 10 p.m., Bakoush entered the Mission compound with other conspirators, and conducted surveillance of the Tactical Operation Center and the Villa. After Bakoush attempted to gain entry to vehicles belonging to Mission staff, he and his co-conspirators temporarily retreated to an area just outside the Mission.

About 11:15 p.m., conspirators assembled outside the southern gate and launched a second violent attack on the Mission using AK-type assault rifles, grenades, and rocket-propelled grenades. After 30 minutes, the group entered the compound and plundered the Mission’s office of documents, maps, and computers containing sensitive information about the location of the CIA Annex.

At 12:30 a.m., conspirators attacked the Annex with small arms, assault rifles, and rocket-propelled grenades.

Following the attack at the Mission, in the early hours of September 12, 2012, the violence continued at the CIA Annex, first with gunfire and then with a precision mortar attack. While defending the Annex, Mr. Woods, Mr. Doherty, DSS Special Agent David Ubben, and CIA security specialist Mark Tiegen were hit by a precision mortar attack, leading to the deaths of Mr. Woods and Mr. Doherty. Special Agent Ubben and Mr. Tiegen were seriously wounded but survived.

The Department of Justice previously charged and convicted two leaders in the Benghazi attack on federal terrorism charges and other offenses. Ahmed Abu Khatallah, aka Ahmed Mukatallah was sentenced in June 2018 to 22 years in prison and resentenced in September 2024 to 28 years in prison. Mustafa al-Imam was sentenced in January 2020 to nearly 20 years.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s New York Field Office with substantial assistance from the Department of War, the CIA and the Department of State. The National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section provided additional assistance.

The case is being prosecuted by the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

Friday, February 6, 2026

Benghazi Terror Suspect Extradited To Face US Charges: Zubayr Al-Bakoush Has Been Charged With Murder, Terror And Arson, All In Relation To The 2012 Attack

Fox News reports that the U.S. has arrested Zubayr Al-Bakoush, alleged to be one of the leaders of the 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi:

Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced the arrest on Friday. Bondi said that Al-Bakoush was charged with charges of murder, terror and arson, all related to the 2012 attack.

"Zubayr Al-Bakoush will now face American justice on American soil. We will prosecute this alleged terrorist to the fullest extent of the law," Bondi said on Friday. "Let this case serve as a reminder: If you commit a crime against the American people anywhere in this world, President Trump's Justice Department will find you. It might not happen overnight, but it will happen. You can run, but you cannot hide."

Bondi also took a swipe at former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who infamously said "what difference does it make?" when asked in a hearing about the cause of the deadly attack.

Patel said that Al-Bakoush was arrested "overseas," but did not give details on the exact location where the alleged terrorist was apprehended.

"I'm extremely thankful to the CIA and Director Ratcliffe and our other law enforcement partners for making sure that the world knows that if you kill an American citizen in an act of terrorism, we will hunt you down," Patel said on Friday.

The FBI director credited President Donald Trump's support for law enforcement, saying that the president "has given law enforcement the resources we need to take the fight across the world." Patel noted the department's success in capturing individuals on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.

You can read the rest of the piece via the link below:

Suspect allegedly behind 2012 Benghazi attack arrested, extradited to US | Fox News

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

FBI/DHS Issues Threat Warning of Copycat Attacks After ISIS-Inspired Vehicle Attack In New Orleans

Threat of Copycat Attacks after ISIS-Inspired Vehicle Attack in New Orleans

Summary

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are issuing this Public Service Announcement to highlight a potential public safety threat from violent extremists in response to the New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans, Louisiana. As with any potential threats to the United States, we will coordinate with our state and local law enforcement partners to ensure they have the resources and information necessary to keep our communities safe.

Threat

The FBI and DHS are concerned about possible copycat or retaliatory attacks due to the persistent appeal of vehicle ramming as a tactic for aspiring violent extremist attackers. Previous attackers inspired by foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) who have conducted vehicle attacks in the United States and abroad have used rented, stolen, and personally owned vehicles, which are easy to acquire. Some have used additional weapons, such as firearms and knives, to attack individuals after the vehicle has stopped. Additionally, attackers may attempt to conceal and pre-position improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to supplement a vehicle attack. Targets have included pedestrians, law enforcement or military members, and crowded public venues, including festivals and commercial centers, which generally are accessible from roadways. We ask that the public remain vigilant regarding possible copycat or retaliatory attacks and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.

Resources

The FBI and DHS encourage the public to promptly report information concerning suspicious activity to tips.fbi.gov or contact their local FBI field office (www.fbi.gov /contact-us/field-offices). Call 911 to report emergencies, including imminent threats to life.
For concerns involving US citizens abroad, to include reporting missing persons or individuals taken as hostages, please call the Department of State's Overseas Citizens Services (OCS) toll-free hotline at (888) 407-4747 or complete Crisis Intake Form at https://cacms.state.gov/s/crisis-intake.
To help mitigate potential risks from a variety of threat actors, DHS, the FBI, and the National Counterterrorism Center have compiled resources for law enforcement officers, other first responders, faith leaders, and communities, including a list of funding opportunities, resources for technical assistance, and educational materials.

Due to the highly personal nature of radicalization to violence and mobilization to violence, it can be difficult to assess specific characteristics indicating the intent of US-based violent extremists to conduct violence. The FBI and DHS urge bystanders to promptly report suspicious activities potentially related to violent extremist activity, including indications of possible online radicalization to violence and mobilization for attacks.
DHS, the FBI, and NCTC direct public safety partners to the unclassified booklet "US Violent Extremist Mobilization Indicators 2021 Edition," which includes possible indicators of mobilization to violence. These indicators apply to all ideologically motivated, US-based violent extremists. DHS also has developed several unclassified resources for communities to help promote bystander awareness of potentially threatening or concerning behaviors that are observable to others and enhance the capacity to identify and mitigate threats through behavioral threat assessment and management, including publicly available training and prevention guides.

Saturday, July 13, 2024

My Counterterrorism Magazine Piece On The Wide Array Of National Security Threats Coming From The Porous Southern Border

The Journal of Counterterrorism & Homeland Security International published my piece on the national security threats coming from the Southern Border.

You can read the piece via the below or the below text:

The Wide Array of National Security Threats Coming

From the Porous Southern Border

By Paul Davis

Border security is one of the hot topics during this year’s contentious presidential election. Among the illegal aliens crossing the border illegally looking for a better life, there are drug smugglers, gang members, and other criminals. There are also suspected terrorists crossing the border illegally.

Eight people from Tajikistan with suspected ties to ISIS were arrested by ICE agents in Philadelphia, Los Angeles and New York City on and before June 11^th. The suspects crossed into the United States from the southern border in 2023.

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security released a statement on the arrests: "Over the last few days, ICE agents arrested several non-citizens pursuant to immigration authorities. The actions were carried out in close coordination with the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Forces. The individuals arrested are detained in ICE custody pending removal proceedings. As the FBI and DHS have recently described in public and partner bulletins, the U.S. has been in a heightened threat environment. The FBI and DHS will continue working around the clock with our partners to identify, investigate, and disrupt potential threats to national security."

Back on March 11^th, FBI Director Christopher Wray and other intelligence leaders testified at the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence during the annual Worldwide Threats Assessment hearing.

The other intelligence leaders testifying about worldwide threats were Avril D. Haines from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, William J. Burns, the director of the CIA, Brett M. Holmgren, the State Department assistant secretary for intelligence and research, Timothy D. Haugh, the director of the NSA/CSS, and Jeffrey A. Kruse, the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency.

In FBI Director Wray’s testimony, he spoke of border security threats such as drug trafficking.:59

"We have had dangerous individuals entering the United States," Wray told the U.S. Senators. "We are seeing a wide array of very dangerous threats that emanate from the border. The FBI alone seized enough fentanyl in the last two years to kill 270 million people."

The FBI Wray stated there is no doubt that criminals have entered the United States at the southern border but knew of no specific plot.

"Some of the overseas facilitators of the smuggling network have ties with ISIS that we're very concerned about, and we've been spending an enormous amount of effort with our partners investigating," Wray said.

He noted that there are threats from a variety of dangerous groups.

"Even before October 7, I would have told this committee that we were at a heightened threat level from a terrorism perspective that I've not seen in a long, long time," he said. "The threats from homegrown violent extremists that is jihadist-inspired, extremists, domestic violent extremists, foreign terrorist organizations, and state-sponsored terrorist organizations all being elevated at one time since October 7, though, that threat has gone to a whole other level. And so, this is a time I think for much greater vigilance, maybe been called upon us," he said.

FBI Director Wray was questioned by the Vice Chairman, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence during the annual Worldwide Threats Assessment hearing.

RUBIO: Director Wray, we know that over the last three years, millions of people have crossed the U.S. border illegally, and many have been released into the country. Have people with ties to dangerous gangs – like, for example, the prison gang Tren de Aragua from Venezuela – were they among the people that came into this country?

WRAY: I don’t know that I can speak to the specific gang, but certainly we’ve had dangerous individuals enter the United States of a variety of sorts.

RUBIO: Are we seeing crimes from people that entered the country over the last three years, some of them with ties to gangs or other criminal organizations?

WRAY: I would say this from an FBI perspective: we are seeing a wide array of very dangerous threats that emanate from the border, and that includes drug trafficking. The FBI alone seized enough fentanyl in the last two years to kill 270 million people. That’s just on the fentanyl side. An awful lot of the violent crime in the United States is at the hands of gangs, who are themselves involved in the distribution of that fentanyl.

RUBIO: But we’re also seeing local law enforcement tracking members of Tren de Aragua in particular. For example, the assault on the police officers in New York. All the reporting said they had ties to this gang in particular. There’s no doubt that people that were criminals in their country of origin have crossed that border and are now in the U.S. committing crimes.

WRAY: Correct.

RUBIO: Is there now a black market emerging to sell fake Social Security cards, fake green cards. Have you seen reporting on that?

WRAY: On the darknet, for example, there is a significant marketplace for different kinds of stolen identities.

RUBIO: What about in the street?

WRAY: I think so.

RUBIO: There are smuggling networks all over the world that specialize in moving people from all over the world, including from the Middle East, Central Asia, and so forth. Are we aware that any of these smuggling organizations are run or conducted by people that have ties, for example, to ISIS or other terrorist organizations?

WRAY: I want to be a little bit careful about how far I can go in an open session. But there is a particular network where some of the overseas facilitators of the smuggling network have ISIS ties that we’re very concerned about, and that we’ve been spending an enormous amount of effort with our partners to investigate. Exactly what that network is up to is something that is, again, the subject of our current investigation.

RUBIO: There is a network we’re concerned about that has facilitators involved in it that have ties to ISIS and other terrorist organizations.

WRAY: Correct.

According to the 2024 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community, Mexican transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) are the dominant producers and suppliers of illicit drugs to the U.S. market.

“Illicit fentanyl will continue to pose a major threat to the health of Americans. In 2023, a majority of the more than 100,000 annual drug overdose deaths in the United States are attributed to illicit fentanyl mostly supplied by Mexican-based TCOs, even as U.S. law enforcement seized record amounts of illicit fentanyl, precursor chemicals, and pill pressing equipment,” the Threat assessment noted.

“Mexico-based TCOs are the dominant producers of illicit fentanyl for the U.S. market, although there also are independent illicit fentanyl producers, and the fragmentation of fentanyl operations has made disruption efforts challenging. Some aspects of fentanyl production are spilling over into the United States with drug traffickers conducting the finishing stages of fentanyl pill packing or pressing in the United States. China remains the primary source for illicit fentanyl precursor chemicals and pill pressing equipment.

“Brokers circumvent international controls through mislabeled shipments and the purchase of unregulated dual-use chemicals. However, Mexico-based TCOs also are sourcing precursor chemicals to a lesser extent from other nations such as India. Money Laundering and Financial Crimes TCOs are defrauding individuals, businesses, and government programs, while laundering billions. Human Trafficking TCOs and criminal actors view human trafficking, including sex trafficking and forced labor, as low risk crimes of opportunity. Multiple criminal actors engage in operations that seek to exploit vulnerable individuals and groups to bolster illicit revenue streams. The TCOs that engage in human trafficking may also engage in drug trafficking, weapons smuggling, human smuggling, and money laundering.

The assessment also stated that human traffickers typically coerce or defraud their victims into sex trafficking or forced labor, confiscating identification documents and requiring the payment of debts.

“In 2023, U.S. law enforcement officials noted multiple incidents where unaccompanied minors were exploited in forced labor operations in U.S. food processing plants to pay off debts. TCOs based in the Western Hemisphere and Asia are most likely to engage in human trafficking activity with ties to the United States. Migrants transiting the Western Hemisphere to the United States are exploited by criminal actors through kidnapping for ransom, targets of forced labor, or victims of sex trafficking operations. TCOs, human smugglers, gangs, and lone criminal actors are all taking advantage of elevated levels of U.S.-bound migration, and vulnerable migrants are at risk of being trafficked. Some migrants, who voluntarily use human smuggling networks to facilitate their travel to the United States, are trafficked during their journey.”

While elected government officials and those seeking office differ on how best to secure the southern border, all agree that there are major dangerous criminals and terrorists crossing the border.

Paul Davis, who writes the online Threatcon column, is a longtime Journal contributor.