As Joe Biden’s open border crisis continues to escalate, the recent arrest of an Iranian national by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has highlighted the imminent threat to national security. On a recent episode of “America’s Newsroom,” Fox News national correspondent Bill Melugin reported on a smuggling operation intercepted by Texas DPS in Val Verde County. The operation resulted in the arrests of five illegal migrants, including 29-year-old Alireza Heidari, an Iranian national.
According to Melugin, Heidari’s name and date of birth were flagged as a match on the FBI’s terror watch list during a background check by Border Patrol. Although a DHS official later stated that Heidari was not a match for the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB), the arrest serves as a chilling reminder of the dangers posed by the current situation at the southern border.
Look at the gotaways numbers in Del Rio sector. Approx 40% of the people coming across the border are successfully evading & escaping into the US w/out apprehension in recent weeks. Yet, the gotaways will not be included in monthly numbers. These 4,300 evaders will not be counted https://t.co/oXHwJeVBqO
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) February 1, 2023
In recent months, the number of apprehensions at the southern border matching the TSDB has skyrocketed, with 38 arrests made since October and 17 people stopped by Border Patrol who were a match for the list in December. This represents a dramatic increase from the 98 apprehensions in the fiscal year 2022 and only 15 in the fiscal year 2021. By contrast, all ports of entry have seen fewer apprehensions over the same period, amounting to 125, 380, 157, and 196, respectively.
Biden’s open border policies have resulted in over 1.2 million gotaways, meaning there is no way to know how many potential terrorists have slipped into the country unnoticed. The recent arrest of Heidari by Texas DPS highlights the danger posed by the situation and the need for action by House Republicans to address the crisis.
NEW: Border Patrol in Tucson, AZ sector report agents arrested a convicted murderer who crossed illegally near Tombstone.
Juan Rodriguez, a Guatemalan national, was previously convicted of felony second degree murder in Maryland in 2005. @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/ZNxqvbInWV— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) January 31, 2023
National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd commented on the recent arrest, stating, “If not for the work of Governor Abbott and Texas DPS, Alireza Heidari would be at large on our streets today and looking to harm the US and our fellow citizens. Heidari entered the country illegally and evaded apprehension by the Border Patrol.”
Judd continued: “It fell to Texas DPS to do our job because Biden continues to play politics with the safety and security of our children, friends, and neighbors. What Biden is doing is dangerous, and the capture of Heidari by a non-federal law enforcement agency is the most recent proof.”
It is now imperative that Republicans now in control of the House of Representatives take swift action to address the open border crisis and ensure the safety and security of the American people. As Melugin reported, attempts to seek information from DHS and ICE were met with stonewalling, and the FBI declined to comment.
The arrest of Heidari serves as a stark reminder that the open border crisis is not just a political issue but a matter of national security. With the power to issue subpoenas, the spotlight is now on Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).
