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CBP Memo: Illegal Immigrant Openly Admitted to Terror Ties; Border Agent Suggests Americans ‘Arm Yourself’

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According to an internal Customs and Border Protection (CBP) memo exclusively obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation, Border Patrol agents apprehended an individual who admitted he had terrorist ties. Agents encountered Oscar De Leon-Ramirez on February 6 among a group of eight Colombian and Salvadoran nationals in Texas’ El Paso sector illegally crossing the border.

Shortly after apprehension, the National Targeting Center notified agents of the subject’s possible record of “terrorist activities,” according to the memo. During an interview with De Leon-Ramirez, the illegal immigrant admitted his previous role working for the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC), a group that was previously designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government.

“During post-Miranda interview, De Leon-Ramirez readily admitted to having crossed the U.S./Mexico International Boundary illegally on today’s date (02/06/2024). Furthermore, De Leon-Ramirez admitted that in 2004/2005 he voluntarily admitted in the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC),” the memo read.

“De Leon-Ramirez stated that some of his duties as AUC member were to patrol the mountainous rural areas of Istmina, Colombia locating guerrilla members of the FARC (Fuerza Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia) and other entities involved with extortion and trafficking in Colombia,” the memo added.

De Leon-Ramirez has pending criminal proceedings in the Western District Court of Texas, according to the memo.

The Daily Caller reports that the U.S. government designated the AUC as a foreign terrorist organization in 2001 and revoked the designation in 2014. The group disbanded in 2006, while some members split off into other groups to continue activities involving the drug trade and human rights abuses, according to the Congressional Research Service. During its existence, the group “massacred and assassinated suspected supporters” of left-leaning guerrilla groups in Colombia, according to the Congressional Research Service.

A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official spoke to the Daily Caller on the condition of anonymity as they’re not authorized to speak publicly, and gave a horrific warning: “The border is open. Wide open. Don’t believe the media. Don’t believe the White House.”

“Arm yourself, protect your homes and your families because this joke of an administration isn’t doing anything,” the official added.

Daily Caller News Foundation notes Border Patrol agents apprehended 50 illegal immigrants on the terror watchlist between October and December: 172 in fiscal year 2023 and 98 in fiscal year 2022, according to CBP data. Between fiscal years 2017 and 2021, there were a total of 30 such encounters.

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Immigration

Harris Supported a ‘Overhaul’ of U.S. Immigration and Customs, Supported ‘Moratorium’ on Detention Centers

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On the 2024 campaign trail, Vice President Kamala Harris is faced with her past remarks, particularly those articulated during her 2019 presidential run. Harris’s progressive stances on immigration from the 2019 primary season are drawing renewed scrutiny.

A look at her 2019 responses to a questionnaire from the Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement Action Fund, uncovered by National Review, shows the extent to which Harris staked out left-of-center views on immigration. In her response, Harris supported a significant “overhaul” of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and called for a “moratorium on the construction and expansion of immigration detention centers.” Criticizing former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, she described ICE’s actions as “cruel and out of control,” pledging to review and reform the agency if elected president. Harris also highlighted her introduction of the DONE Act, which proposed added oversight for ICE and a moratorium on detention center expansion.

Harris’s office did not respond to requests for comment about the resurfaced questionnaire, which featured responses from other primary candidates, including Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Julián Castro, and Pete Buttigieg. Despite these progressive stances, Harris struggled to gain traction with the Democratic left, which ultimately endorsed Sanders after she exited the race, explains National Review.

Since joining the 2024 Democratic ticket, Harris has adopted a tougher tone on crime, often referencing her prosecutorial background in addressing concerns about transnational gang violence. She frequently cites her experience handling crime as a prosecutor to appeal to moderates. On the debate stage, she has emphasized her opponent’s—former President Donald Trump’s—role in derailing a bipartisan border-security agreement, pivoting criticism of her own policies toward the GOP’s reluctance to pass comprehensive reforms.

However, Harris’s past rhetoric on immigration continues to pose a challenge. In another questionnaire from 2019 for the American Civil Liberties Union, Harris voiced support for ending ICE detainers, reducing immigration detention by half, and providing taxpayer-funded gender-transition surgeries for detained illegal immigrants. This record, resurfaced by Republican spending groups, has fueled negative ad campaigns that often quote Harris’s prior statements to question her commitment to immigration enforcement. In one such ad, Harris is shown describing illegal immigrants as “not criminals” and suggesting a “start from scratch” approach on ICE.

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