(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) U.S. border authorities apprehended a Hezbollah member after he confessed to attempting to enter the country with the intention of making “a bomb.”
Basel Bassel Ebbadi, a Lebanese national and self-professed member of the extremist organization Hezbollah, was intercepted on March 9 in Texas. Upon being apprehended, Ebbadi disclosed his purpose for crossing the border, stating, “I’m going to try to make a bomb.”
The revelation emerged from DHS leaked documents obtained by the New York Post.
Illegal migrant from Lebanon told border authorities he’s a Hezbollah terrorist and hoped ‘to make a bomb’ in US https://t.co/ADuy2s0D7n pic.twitter.com/ICqSaUlOsM
— New York Post (@nypost) March 17, 2024
The 22-year-old man claimed he fled Lebanon because he “didn’t want to kill people” at the behest of Hamas, an ally of Hezbollah. “Once you’re in, you can never get out,” the man purportedly remarked, referring to the terrorist organizations.
Ebbadi admitted that his training primarily focused on targeting “those who were not Muslim,” according to the Post.
A Border Patrol document revealed that Ebbadi confessed to undergoing seven years of training with Hezbollah and serving as an active member responsible for guarding weapons for at least four additional years.
Multiple CBP sources confirm to me that 22 y/o Basel Bassel Ebbadi from Lebanon was apprehended entering into El Paso illegally March 11th—He reportedly told medical staff during a screening “I’m going to try to make a bomb.” The following day he claimed to be a member of the… https://t.co/Y8PF4d2Y4T pic.twitter.com/J5Dc4nbsM8
— Ali Bradley (@AliBradleyTV) March 17, 2024
Hezbollah, also known as Hizballah, is a Shiite Muslim political party based in Lebanon. While it currently holds several seats in the Lebanese parliament, it also maintains a military wing linked to terrorist organizations.
The group is aligned with Iran and has launched numerous attacks against Israel following Hamas’s invasion into southern Israel.
Shortly after his arrest, Ebbadi was referred to the Tactical Terrorism Response Team (TTRT) for allegedly making “terroristic threats to personnel.”
The Post reported that Ebbadi is currently undergoing deportation proceedings.
The Post‘s report emerges amid widespread concerns about security at the southern border. DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas faced impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives due to the turmoil gripping the border.
In Fiscal Year 2022, Border Patrol encountered at least 98 individuals on the terror watch list. By Fiscal Year 2023, the number of individuals with terror ties surged to 172. In the current fiscal year, authorities have apprehended at least 59 individuals.
“This underscores the need for border security measures as potential threats to both public safety and national security are evident and exploit security vulnerabilities,” Texas DPS Lt. Chris Olivarez said in an interview with the Post.
“The federal government has failed to enact border security measures, and the state of Texas, through Governor Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, will continue to take unprecedented action to help secure the border,” he added.
