When people think of illegal immigrants brazenly crossing into the United States, usually it is assumed that they are Mexicans or Central Americans. The truth is that illegal immigrants come from all over the world. Migrants from more than 160 countries have been apprehended at the southern border, including people listed on the FBI’s terror watchlist.

The news broke on Sunday that an Afghan national who is on the terror watchlist was apprehended with a group of other migrants near Otay Mesa, California. The news came from the usual source – Fox’s Bill Melugin. Melugin has done stellar reporting along the southern border during the Biden border crisis, with Fox usually being the only news organization reporting from the border. The others are content to ignore the border crisis to protect Biden.

BREAKING: Per multiple CBP sources, Border Patrol agents in San Diego sector arrested an Afghan national on the FBI’s terror watchlist after he crossed illegally w/ group of migrants near Otay Mesa, CA on Wednesday. I’m told FBI confirmed the match, & is leading investigation.

— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) May 14, 2023

He crossed into the United States last week. Multiple sources at CBP told Fox News that it happened on Wednesday. The Border Patrol agents took the group of migrants to a processing station and that is where a fingerprint scan confirmed the Afghan was a match on the Terrorist Screening Database. The FBI was notified and opened an investigation.

More than 70 non-U.S. citizens on the FBI’s terror watchlist have been apprehended so far this fiscal year by CBP. 2023 is expected to surpass last year’s total arrests, which was 98. For comparison purposes, in 2021, CBP apprehended 15 illegal migrants on the FBI terror watchlist at the southern border.

Rep. Darrell Issa who represents the district where the Afghan was apprehended confirmed the arrest and released a statement.

I can confirm that a wanted terrorist crossed our open border in the San Diego region just days ago — even if the Biden Administration won’t.

— Rep. Darrell Issa (@repdarrellissa) May 14, 2023

I have reached out to CBP for comment, they tell me they will get back to me.
CA Congressman @DarrellIssa represents the area, and tells me his office has confirmed the arrest with their CBP contact. He released the following statement in response. pic.twitter.com/Gs5TIdfFk6

— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) May 14, 2023

“Biden’s open borders aren’t just a gateway to five million illegals, record human and child trafficking and the deadliest drug crisis in our history,” Issa said. “Biden’s reckless policy is also an open invitation to even the most wanted terrorists in the world to come to America. They know they’ll never have to leave. The nation knows what’s going on and this president has only begun to be held accountable for what he has done.”

A statement was released by San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond.

Statement on Arrest of Afghani on Terror Watch List at Border. pic.twitter.com/FtFhnIiRbS

— Supervisor Jim Desmond (@jim_desmond) May 14, 2023

Supervisor Desmond is right – the apprehension of someone on the terror watchlist is a stark reminder of what a dangerous national security failure the Biden administration has been. The disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan was the first red flag that Joe Biden, despite 50 years of government service, has no clue as to how to protect this country. There has been four embassies closed on his watch, the latest being in Sudan. As Bob Gates famously wrote in his book, Biden has “been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades.”

Who knows how many people listed on the FBI’s terror watchlist are in the United States now? Federal authorities don’t know. Think of the number of potential bad actors who are among the migrants known as gotaways, those that run from apprehension by Border Patrol or other law enforcement and vanish into the interior of the country. The potential for disaster is real and increasing as the Biden border crisis continues.