EL PASO, TX - An internal United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) memo obtained by the New York Post confirms details about a Columbian national found to be a "positive match" on the terror watchlist after being arrested for illegally crossing the southern border.
The individual, identified as Jerminton Genara-Quinones Carvajal, was also identified as a former member of the Revolutionary Forces of Columbia (FARC). Carvajal was arrested on March 8th near El Paso, Texas and allegedly admitted to previously "overseeing the transportation of goods and unmarked crates," which he knew "sometimes contained firearms, ammunition and cocaine for the FARC."
He also allegedly told federal authorities that he had "demobilized" from the FARC. According to the Office of Director of National Intelligence, FARC has been deemed as one of Columbia's most powerful violent dissident groups. A counter-terrorism report by the U.S. government states that the group conducts "armed assaults, assassinations, extortion operations, and hostage-takings" largely against Colombian government and military.
Carvajal has a criminal history, which includes an arrest for aggravated robbery. He reportedly served six months in prison and 52 months on house arrest, but it is unclear which country he was sentenced and incarcerated in. According to court documents, federal authorities will prosecute Carvajal for illegal entry into the United States. As of this writing, he is being held in custody until his court date for sentencing, which is scheduled for March 25th.
Court documents state that Carvajal entered the United States via swimming the Rio Grande. Since Carvajal does not have a criminal history in the United States, prosecutors indicated that his sentence will likely be no longer than six months.
Days prior to Carvajal's arrest, a Lebanese migrant was also caught trying to illegally enter the country through the southern border and when caught, admitted to being a member of the terror group Hezbollah. The individual, identified as 22-year-old Basel Bassel Ebbadi, told authorities that he wanted to go to New York where he hoped to make a bomb.
Ebbadi was caught by Border Patrol agents on March 9th near El Paso, Texas. According to internal U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) documents obtained by the New York Post, Ebbadi later claimed that he had been trying to flee Lebanon and Hezbollah because he "didn't want to kill people" and said, "once you're in, you can never get out."
In a sworn interview following his arrest, Ebbadi said that he had trained with Hezbollah for seven years and served as an active member guarding weapons locations for another four years. He said that his training focused on "jihad" and killing people "that were not Muslim."
Ebbadi was immediately placed into isolation and was referred for an interview with the Tactical Terrorism Response Team for making "terroristic threats to personnel." Documents show that he was marked for deportation from the United States, however, it is still unclear what country he will be returned to.
Border Patrol agents recorded 98 encounters with terror watchlisted individuals at both the northern and southern borders in fiscal year 2022 and almost twice as many, 172, in fiscal year 2023. So far, according to the data, in the first four months of 2024, 59 have been apprehended.
The individual, identified as Jerminton Genara-Quinones Carvajal, was also identified as a former member of the Revolutionary Forces of Columbia (FARC). Carvajal was arrested on March 8th near El Paso, Texas and allegedly admitted to previously "overseeing the transportation of goods and unmarked crates," which he knew "sometimes contained firearms, ammunition and cocaine for the FARC."
He also allegedly told federal authorities that he had "demobilized" from the FARC. According to the Office of Director of National Intelligence, FARC has been deemed as one of Columbia's most powerful violent dissident groups. A counter-terrorism report by the U.S. government states that the group conducts "armed assaults, assassinations, extortion operations, and hostage-takings" largely against Colombian government and military.
Carvajal has a criminal history, which includes an arrest for aggravated robbery. He reportedly served six months in prison and 52 months on house arrest, but it is unclear which country he was sentenced and incarcerated in. According to court documents, federal authorities will prosecute Carvajal for illegal entry into the United States. As of this writing, he is being held in custody until his court date for sentencing, which is scheduled for March 25th.
Court documents state that Carvajal entered the United States via swimming the Rio Grande. Since Carvajal does not have a criminal history in the United States, prosecutors indicated that his sentence will likely be no longer than six months.
Days prior to Carvajal's arrest, a Lebanese migrant was also caught trying to illegally enter the country through the southern border and when caught, admitted to being a member of the terror group Hezbollah. The individual, identified as 22-year-old Basel Bassel Ebbadi, told authorities that he wanted to go to New York where he hoped to make a bomb.
Ebbadi was caught by Border Patrol agents on March 9th near El Paso, Texas. According to internal U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) documents obtained by the New York Post, Ebbadi later claimed that he had been trying to flee Lebanon and Hezbollah because he "didn't want to kill people" and said, "once you're in, you can never get out."
In a sworn interview following his arrest, Ebbadi said that he had trained with Hezbollah for seven years and served as an active member guarding weapons locations for another four years. He said that his training focused on "jihad" and killing people "that were not Muslim."
Ebbadi was immediately placed into isolation and was referred for an interview with the Tactical Terrorism Response Team for making "terroristic threats to personnel." Documents show that he was marked for deportation from the United States, however, it is still unclear what country he will be returned to.
Border Patrol agents recorded 98 encounters with terror watchlisted individuals at both the northern and southern borders in fiscal year 2022 and almost twice as many, 172, in fiscal year 2023. So far, according to the data, in the first four months of 2024, 59 have been apprehended.
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Comments
2024-03-22T21:17-0500 | Comment by: Brian
Simple if they are on the watchlist for terror, No trial No attys, military tribunal LIFE in SUPERMAX. No parole