Customs and Border Protection Reports Spike of Terror Watchlist, Sex Offender Arrests at U.S. Southern Border

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Border Patrol vehicle patrolling along the fence of the international border between San Diego, California and Tijuana, Mexico
According to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), 38 illegal migrants have been apprehended attempting to illegally cross the border since October 1 were on terrorism watch lists. File photo: Sherry V Smith, Shutter Stock, licensed.

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  Amid the ongoing migrant crisis at the United States’ southern border, residents of one of the states most impacted by the surge of illegal crossings – Texas – have been growing increasingly worried amid new reports that the number of individuals being arrested who are either sex offenders or are on terrorist watch lists have spiked significantly as of late

According to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), 38 illegal migrants have been apprehended attempting to illegally cross the border since October 1 were on terrorism watch lists, which is already setting the pace of such arrests to far outstrip previous years. For example, 98 members of terrorist watch lists were caught at the border in all of 2022, with only 15 being nabbed in 2021. 

In addition, ten convicted sex offenders have been arrested at the Del Rio sector of the border in January alone, and 38 since October 1; a total of 488 sex offenders in total were arrested crossing into the U.S. 2021, along with 156 in 2020 and 58 in 2019.  

And finally, there have been approximately 300,000 illegal migrants since October 1 who have been spotted crossing the border but who have managed to elude capture, leaving their potential criminal status completely up in the air. 

Indeed, these numbers indicate that the number of encounters with potential terrorists and sex offenders at the southern border in Texas are only growing as time goes by, leading to local residents expressing extreme concern to Fox News reporters over their safety. 

“Yeah, that’s very concerning. Sex offenders? That’s scary,” said Texas resident Melina.  

“It’s very concerning because we don’t know who’s coming across, and it’s endangering our citizens,” said Beverly, a North Dakota native visiting Austin. 

“It is a concern ’cause, we were feeling like moving around here,” said Nicolas of Waco. “If there’s more convicted people, then it could be a lot more dangerous.” 

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