During a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard revealed that nearly 600 individuals with connections to terrorist organizations entered the United States and were granted asylum during the Biden administration.
This discovery followed an investigation prompted by President Donald Trump’s designation of several cartels and gangs as foreign terrorist organizations.
Gabbard emphasized the urgency of addressing these security concerns, stating, “Because of your designation of cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, I took immediate action with our National Counterterrorism Center to prioritize their focus on those terrorists and gang members who are trying to enter our country through legal or illegal means and to seek out those who are already here in our country because of the Biden administration’s four years of open borders.”
The National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), under Gabbard’s direction, has been tasked with identifying members of cartels and terrorist groups both attempting to cross U.S. borders and those already present within the country.
The investigation aims to strengthen national security by tracking individuals associated with groups like MS-13, Tren de Aragua, and the Sinaloa Cartel, which have been classified as significant threats due to their criminal and terrorist activities.
Identifying and Tracking Terror-Linked Individuals
Gabbard shared alarming findings from the NCTC’s recent efforts, noting the identification of hundreds of individuals with ties to terrorist organizations. “Just the other day, we found 700 alien terrorists who have ties to MS-13, Tren de Aragua, and the Sinaloa cartel,” she reported.
She added, “Just yesterday, our NCTC identified almost 600 individuals with ties to other terrorists who came through our border illegally, claimed asylum, and under the Biden administration were paroled here within our borders.”
These revelations highlight the scale of the challenge posed by individuals entering the U.S. through various means and remaining under previous immigration policies.
To address this issue, Gabbard’s Office of the Director of National Intelligence is collaborating with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the FBI to locate and monitor these individuals.
This interagency effort seeks to mitigate risks by ensuring that those with terrorist affiliations are tracked and, where necessary, apprehended to prevent potential threats to public safety.
Law Enforcement Actions Against Terrorist Organizations
The Trump administration has implemented a series of measures to dismantle the operations of designated terrorist organizations, including aggressive law enforcement actions targeting groups like Tren de Aragua.
Gabbard’s remarks followed recent high-profile operations, such as the arrest of a suspected Tren de Aragua leader in Los Angeles by Homeland Security Investigations.
The Venezuelan national, who used a false identity, had reportedly displayed grenades on social media prior to his capture, underscoring the boldness of these criminal networks.
Additionally, a multi-agency operation involving the DHS, IRS, and other federal entities resulted in the arrest of over 100 individuals at an underground nightclub in Colorado, which was allegedly operated by Tren de Aragua.
These actions reflect a coordinated strategy to disrupt the infrastructure of cartels and gangs, which have been newly classified as foreign terrorist organizations under Trump’s directives. By targeting their leadership and operational hubs, the administration aims to curb the influence of these groups within the United States.
