President Joe Biden’s administration has deleted a social media post that informed the public that a “potential terrorist” had been apprehended this month at the U.S.–Mexico border.
Clem included the man’s age (21), his country of origin (Saudi Arabia), and said the male was “linked to several Yemeni subjects of interest.”
But Clem’s post was taken down recently, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which includes Border Patrol, confirmed to The Epoch Times on Dec. 29.
“All individuals encountered at or between U.S. ports of entry are screened and vetted against a broad range of law enforcement and intelligence information to determine if they pose a threat to national security or public safety, consistent with the law. CBP is continuing to investigate the matter following its standard protocols. This may include referral, if appropriate, to other relevant law enforcement entities for further investigation and a custody determination,” Luis Miranda, CBP’s public affairs assistant commissioner, said in an emailed statement.
“A December 20, 2021, tweet on the matter has since been deleted as it contained law enforcement sensitive information, violating agency protocols,” he added.
That release was pulled within days.
“The news release in question was not properly reviewed and contained certain disclosure and policy information related to national security that required CBP to remove it from our website,” the agency said at the time.
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) took notice of the more recent scrub.
“The American people deserve to know that suspected terrorists are coming through our broken border system. We need to get to the bottom of this,” he wrote on Twitter.
The Biden administration is presiding over the worst illegal immigration surge in U.S. history and Republicans say the crisis involves terrorists and people with terror links.
“I am deeply troubled by reports of a Saudi national apprehended at the southwest border with potential ties to terrorism and found wearing a jacket emblazoned with a Central Oneida County Volunteer Ambulance Corps emblem," Rep. John Katko (R-N.Y.), ranking member on the House Homeland Security Committee, told The Epoch Times in an email.
“As I and many of my colleagues have been saying for months, the impact and relevancy of the Biden Border Crisis are not limited to communities along the southwest border. Migrants are entering the United States illegally in record numbers from a litany of countries. We are undoubtedly experiencing a nationwide crisis.
“While I continue to seek additional details from the Department of Homeland Security about this specific instance, the reality is our nation faces a serious crisis at the southwest border and this Administration still refuses to address it. With this report, as well as documented increases in fentanyl and other drugs crossing the border, it’s clear the security failures on the border are having an adverse impact on Central New York and communities across the United States. That’s why I remain committed to advocating for strong border security,” he added.
Katko and other lawmakers have unsuccessfully urged Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to make public the number of suspected or confirmed terrorists caught by border agents this year.
