CNN has an exclusive story up this morning which seems a bit worrisome. The FBI is investigating a human smuggler who brought in a group of people from Uzbekistan. What has authorities worried is that the smuggler in question has ties to ISIS.

While the FBI says no specific ISIS plot has been identified, officials are still working to “identify and assess” all of the individuals who gained entry to the United States, according to a statement from National Security Council spokesman Adrienne Watson. And they are closely scrutinizing a number of the migrants as possible criminal threats, according to two US officials.

Though there is no evidence at this point to justify detaining anyone, the episode was so alarming that an urgent classified intelligence report was circulated to President Joe Biden’s top Cabinet officials in their morning briefing book. For some counterterrorism officials, it shows that the US is deeply vulnerable to the possibility that terrorists could sneak across the southern border by hiding amid the surge of migrants entering the country in search of asylum…

The ISIS-linked smuggler is not believed to be a member of the terror group, but more like an independent contractor who has personal sympathies with the organization, according to US officials. The intelligence community now believes it is unlikely that he was assisting these individuals at the behest of ISIS. Most are believed to be seeking a better life in the United States.

The article doesn’t say when all of this happened, only that it was earlier this year. The timing matters because FBI agents still haven’t been able to track down all of the people who came in with this terrorist sympathizer. They all claimed asylum when they arrived so of course we let them in and let them move about the country. Has it been a month? Three months? Whatever the case, we can’t locate some of them. Another dozen or so are said to be under continued observation to make sure they aren’t up to something. But obviously the ones who can’t be located are probably the ones you should be most concerned about.

The good news is that we have found the smuggler and his crew. They’ve been arrested.

The bureau also worked with Turkish authorities, who arrested the smuggler and other members of his network at the behest of the US, and has subsequently obtained information from him to aid its investigation, US officials said.

It looks like we dodged a bullet this time but this incident shows how relatively easy it would be for someone who was acting on behalf of a terror group to bring a bunch of people across the border. So long as they weren’t already in a terror database, we probably wouldn’t know.

CNN makes a point of saying that relatively few people on terror watch lists have crossed the southern border in a given year. They cite a report saying there were only a dozen such cases in 2018. That’s nice but how many terrorists does it take to kill a bunch of people in a major city? It really only takes one and half a dozen could do a lot of damage. All of this suggests it would be better if we had fewer people coming to the border to claim asylum. But as we know, after a brief decline in June, apprehension numbers surged again last month.

Finally, it’s worth remembering that terrorists aren’t the only potential threat coming across the border.

Yesterday, USBP agents arrested 3 convicted felony sex offenders that tried to illegally enter the U.S.

Their convictions?
• Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child under 14 years of Age.
• Lewd or Indecent Proposal/Acts to Child
• Aggravated Sexual Assault/Force/Bodily Harm pic.twitter.com/UQ6yZyJV5E

— Chief Jason Owens (@USBPChief) August 25, 2023

On Tuesday, CBP officers at the Nogales POE seized approximately 200,400 fentanyl pills and 55.90 pounds of meth. The contraband was hidden in the firewall, doors, tailgate and under the seats of a truck. Good teamwork by officers and a K9 team conducting layered enforcement. pic.twitter.com/COoOnRdBDe

— Port Director Michael W. Humphries (@CBPPortDirNOG) August 24, 2023

Yesterday, Tucson Sector agents arrested two convicted sex offenders. Their criminal histories? Lewd or Lascivious Acts with a Child Under the Age of 14, Enticing a Child, Child Molestation, Sexual Battery, & Homicide.

Great Job @USBPChiefTCA pic.twitter.com/7PZlCREXxJ

— Chief Jason Owens (@USBPChief) August 15, 2023

NEW (1/3): Two of three cartel gunmen seen crossing illegally into Fronton, TX last week have now been arrested in the same area in a joint operation w/ @TxDPS and Border Patrol. The men had 6 mags of 5.56 rounds, & another w/ military grade green tip. AK47 & M4 rifles recovered. pic.twitter.com/5AclI4x0Ee

— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) August 14, 2023

All of these guys were arrested but how many got through?