FBI Chief Christopher Wray has expressed alarm over the threat posed by known or suspected terrorists who utilize counterfeit identification to enter the U.S. through the southern border. This, he states, is a significant worry for the nation’s intelligence network.
Wray voiced these concerns on Tuesday during the 2024 Annual Threat Assessment hearing conducted by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. This hearing was attended by key members of the U.S. intelligence community including Avril Haines, Director of National Intelligence; William Burns, CIA Director; General Timothy Haugh, National Security Agency Director and U.S. Cyber Command Commander; and Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse, Defense Intelligence Agency Director.
The hearing underscored the escalated threats facing the U.S., posed by foreign powers such as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. It also highlighted the U.S.-Mexico border as a potential entry point for malicious actors intending to infiltrate the country.
During the hearing, Mississippi’s Republican Representative Trent Kelly asked Wray if the FBI was confident in tracking every known or suspected terrorist—or anyone else on a watchlist—on the southern border or any other border, and if these individuals were subsequently apprehended, deported, or monitored by the authorities.
Wray responded by stating that there were several categories of individuals that they were apprehensive about. He expressed confidence in the coordination between the FBI and DHS (Department of Homeland Security) when a known or suspected terrorist is caught at the border. However, he highlighted the greater risk posed by those who use false identification documents at the border. Since there are no biometrics to verify their identity, these individuals could potentially enter the country undetected until it is discovered that they are on a watchlist.
Wray also informed Select Committee Chairman, Republican Congressman Michael Turner from Ohio, that in the past five years, there has been an uptick in the number of known or suspected terrorists attempting to cross the southern border.
In a similar vein, Wray, during his testimony in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Monday, warned about the threat of individuals unlawfully entering the U.S. through the southern border. When asked by Committee member and Georgia Democrat Senator Jon Ossoff about the seriousness of the terrorism threat associated with illegal entry through the southern border, Wray confirmed his concerns, especially in light of the recent attacks by Hamas on Israel, which sparked a lethal conflict in Gaza.
On Monday, Wray stated that even before these attacks, he would have informed the committee of a heightened threat level from a terrorism perspective. He emphasized that it’s the first time in many years that he has seen threats from homegrown violent extremists, domestic violent extremists, foreign terrorist organizations, and state-sponsored terrorist organizations all elevated simultaneously.
