"Terrorist Infiltration Of The US: Are We Looking At The Wrong Border?"

Here is an excerpt from my latest article for Homeland Security Today's Correspondents' Watch:

"In January 2005, the FBI was on the lookout for four Chinese men and two Iraqis who were thought to have access to a dirty bomb bound for the US that was being smuggled through Mexico. In November 2005, Zapata County, Texas Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez said it's not a matter of "if," but "when," a terrorist will enter the United States through Mexico with a dirty bomb or some other weapon of mass destruction (WMD). Around the same time, Adnan Shukrijumah – an important Al Qaeda operations member, according to US intelligence officials - was suspected of hatching a plot to smuggle a dirty bomb - or materials to manufacture one - across the US-Mexico border. Fortunately, there is no indication that Shukrijumah’s purported dirty-bomb plot ever got very far... While we know that individuals associated with terrorist groups like Hezbollah have entered the United States through Mexico, there is no evidence that any of those individuals were “operational”—meaning they came across the border with plans to blow something up. While media reports of dirty bombs potentially coming across our southwest border have died down considerably since 2005, that doesn’t mean that concern over such a scenario isn’t there anymore. But are homeland security officials looking for that threat in the wrong direction?"

To read the rest of my article on the HSToday website, please CLICK HERE!

Comments

[P]

Ironically, this may be one situation where the existence of the drug cartels is helping the USA. Would Sinaloa or the Zeta's actively help someone who is trying to smuggle a dirty bomb? I seriously doubt it - that move would really impact their business in a major way. The cartels are not that dumb - and in fact they may even lead law enforcement to arrest a group who was trying to do that.

Could some part of MS-13 do this - maybe a sub-group of MS-13 with leanings towards militant Islam?? Maybe. But how would they negotiate a way across the plaza's? The existence of the highly-informed drug cartel networks is not an advantage to independent terrorists. It may be saving us from trouble. That's an irony that we may have to live with.

P.

[Beltonwall]

I have to agree with P. If a WMD was smuggled through Mexico into the USA then the USA would open up the biggest can of whuupass you ever saw. And even a narco in Mex would have to know that he can't outrun that.

[russell1200]

Think of it from the terrorists point of view.

How on earth are you going to find someone from a cartel to help you with your activities? With so much infighting, why would you want to get yourself associated with one group, when it means some other group is then going to want to cut your head off.

Unless someone from a cartel actively sought them out -and why would they bother - it seems like a no-go.

Mexico does have some very competent, revolutionary types. They are tiny compared to the cartel, but would have the local knowledge. They conceivably could seek out allies of a common cause, but they have so far not made any noise about being interested in attacks on the U.S. It is also not clear that Canada would not have like-minded groups. All you are talking about needing is a couple of people.