A federal law enforcement source familiar with the issues at the US-Mexico border told FOX Business that the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is warning agents to be on the lookout for explosive devices after the Mexican military reportedly seized 10 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at the border.
An internal officer safety alert went out on or around December 13th, warning CBP agents to be "vigilant." The IED's were found by Mexican authorities after Tucson, Arizona, border patrol agents observed gunshots at the southern border. A Tucson supervisory border patrol agent reportedly arrested an armed person on the interior of the United States who was armed with a loaded AK-47 rifle, two loaded AK magazines, loose rounds, and a handgun.
In the safety alert memo that went out to its agents, CBP warned them to "exercise extreme caution" and that they "should report any possible armed subjects approaching the border with possible explosive devices."
According to the source that spoke with FOX Business, a cartel gun fight erupted over a gap in the southern border fence at the ranch that is typically used to smuggle drugs. That area is a magnet for the cartel for human smuggling and that is what the gangs were fighting for control over.
This incident comes as FOX News reported that on Tuesday, December 12th, migrant encounters at the southern border again topped 100,000 in a single day. The numbers seen on Wednesday, December 13th, are a little less than the over 12,000 seen in a single day the week prior, which broke daily records. However, these numbers are still overwhelming CBP agents.
According to CBP sources, Tucson and Del Rio Sectors, which saw 3,000 and 2,700 encounters, respectively, were both more than 200 percent over capacity and agents were hit by multiple groups of more than 100 migrants in multiple locations at the same time.
Lawmakers have been told that CBP agents have encountered migrants from over 150 different countries. There were more than 190 Chinese nationals encountered in the San Diego Sector alone and there were more than 120 encounters of nationals from Guinea in the Tucson Sector.
CBP's IED warning comes as Republicans push for increased border safety measures to be included in President Joe Biden's $106 billion aid package for Israel and Ukraine. GOP lawmakers have demanded that any aid package include the entirety of H.R.2, known as "Secure the Border Act," the House signature legislation that passed in the chamber earlier this year.
The bill ramps up border security, restarts border wall construction, brings back the Remain-in-Mexico policy, and limits the use of asylum and humanitarian parole among several other changes. The bill was passed by the House back in May, but did not receive much interest from Democrats. A Senate version was later introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX).
Biden and Senate Democrats have rejected the sweeping southern border security bill, claiming that it would "cut off nearly all access to humanitarian protections in ways that are inconsistent with our Nation's values and international obligations."
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced that the Senate would "return early" from its holiday recess to continue border talks. He said, "That will give negotiators from the White House, Senate Democrats, Senate Republicans, a time to work through the weekend in an effort to reach a framework agreement. It will then take some time to turn that framework into text."
However, Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), one of the Republicans involved in those talks, told Fox News Digital that the White House has yet to put a border proposal on paper.
An internal officer safety alert went out on or around December 13th, warning CBP agents to be "vigilant." The IED's were found by Mexican authorities after Tucson, Arizona, border patrol agents observed gunshots at the southern border. A Tucson supervisory border patrol agent reportedly arrested an armed person on the interior of the United States who was armed with a loaded AK-47 rifle, two loaded AK magazines, loose rounds, and a handgun.
In the safety alert memo that went out to its agents, CBP warned them to "exercise extreme caution" and that they "should report any possible armed subjects approaching the border with possible explosive devices."
According to the source that spoke with FOX Business, a cartel gun fight erupted over a gap in the southern border fence at the ranch that is typically used to smuggle drugs. That area is a magnet for the cartel for human smuggling and that is what the gangs were fighting for control over.
This incident comes as FOX News reported that on Tuesday, December 12th, migrant encounters at the southern border again topped 100,000 in a single day. The numbers seen on Wednesday, December 13th, are a little less than the over 12,000 seen in a single day the week prior, which broke daily records. However, these numbers are still overwhelming CBP agents.
According to CBP sources, Tucson and Del Rio Sectors, which saw 3,000 and 2,700 encounters, respectively, were both more than 200 percent over capacity and agents were hit by multiple groups of more than 100 migrants in multiple locations at the same time.
Lawmakers have been told that CBP agents have encountered migrants from over 150 different countries. There were more than 190 Chinese nationals encountered in the San Diego Sector alone and there were more than 120 encounters of nationals from Guinea in the Tucson Sector.
CBP's IED warning comes as Republicans push for increased border safety measures to be included in President Joe Biden's $106 billion aid package for Israel and Ukraine. GOP lawmakers have demanded that any aid package include the entirety of H.R.2, known as "Secure the Border Act," the House signature legislation that passed in the chamber earlier this year.
The bill ramps up border security, restarts border wall construction, brings back the Remain-in-Mexico policy, and limits the use of asylum and humanitarian parole among several other changes. The bill was passed by the House back in May, but did not receive much interest from Democrats. A Senate version was later introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX).
Biden and Senate Democrats have rejected the sweeping southern border security bill, claiming that it would "cut off nearly all access to humanitarian protections in ways that are inconsistent with our Nation's values and international obligations."
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced that the Senate would "return early" from its holiday recess to continue border talks. He said, "That will give negotiators from the White House, Senate Democrats, Senate Republicans, a time to work through the weekend in an effort to reach a framework agreement. It will then take some time to turn that framework into text."
However, Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), one of the Republicans involved in those talks, told Fox News Digital that the White House has yet to put a border proposal on paper.
For corrections or revisions, click here.
The opinions reflected in this article are not necessarily the opinions of LET
Comments
2023-12-17T12:40-0600 | Comment by: Jim
I worked the Border back in the early 70's with the BP Agents. The worse that ever happened was the rather rare occasion when someone across the Border would throw some rocks at us to get us to leave the area. I was working with the San Diego City Police and yes we often captured illegals and turned them over thee area so some illegals could cross. Whenever we caught them they submitted to our arrest. We also would sometimes find these Illegals had been beaten up and they said it was the Mexican Police or Federales and even observed the Federales chase these illegals and rob them or just beat them up. We, the SDPD Officers always treated them kindly, even when we arrested them and took them to the BP for processing so they returned the kindness by simply doing as we told them to without any problems. Times have certainly changed and working the Border now seems to be very dangerous!