The FBI director has issued an ominous warning that the number of terror threats against the United States is on the rise, with the greatest concern being the possibility of lone wolves carrying out Hamas-style attacks in the United States.
During a Saturday address at the annual conference of the International Association of Chiefs of Police in San Diego, FBI Director Christopher Wray implored law enforcement to be particularly vigilant about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict’s potential to inspire ‘copy cat’ terror attacks.
“History has been witness to antisemitic and other forms of violent extremism for far too long,” he said. “We remain committed to continue confronting those threats.
“In this heightened environment, there’s no question we’re seeing an increase in reported threats, and we’ve got to be on the lookout, especially for lone actors who may take inspiration from recent events to commit violence of their own,” he added.
The FBI warning was issued a day after former Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal called for a “Day of Jihad” on October 13.
The director of the FBI did not reveal any specific domestic threats that the bureau may be facing as a direct result of the conflict, but instead issued a general warning.
He also urged law enforcement officials to continue sharing and collaborating on intelligence.
“I’d also ask you to continue sharing any intelligence or observations you may have,” Wray said. “On our end, we’re committed to doing the same, so that together, we can safeguard our communities.”
Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the majority of Western nations, launched a devastating surprise attack on Israel on October 7.
According to local authorities, more than 1,300 Israelis and 2,400 Palestinians have been slain in the conflict thus far.
According to the US Department of State, at least 29 Americans have been killed and 15 are missing, including at least some that Hamas is holding hostage.
Thousands of “special interest aliens” from Middle Eastern countries have been apprehended by Border Patrol agents attempting to illegally cross the U.S. southern border over the past two years, according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data.
Fox News’ Bill Melugin provided the most recent data.
NEW: Internal CBP data provided & confirmed by CBP sources reveals thousands of “special interest aliens” from mostly Middle Eastern countries have been apprehended by Border Patrol while crossing into U.S. illegally over last 2 years.
Syria: 538
Yemen: 139
Iran: 659
Iraq: 123…— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) October 10, 2023
This data, obtained by Fox News, was confirmed by multiple CBP sources and reflects apprehensions between ports of entry between October 2021 and October 2023, indicates that agents encountered 6,386 nationals from Afghanistan, 3,153 nationals from Egypt, 659 nationals from Iran, and 538 nationals from Syria during that time period.
In addition, agents encountered 12,624 Uzbeks, 30,830 Turks, 1,613 Pakistanis, 164 Lebanese, 185 Jordanians, 123 Iraqis, and 15,594 Mauritanians.
Special Interest Aliens are foreign nationals from countries identified by the U.S. government as fostering or protecting terrorism or posing a potential hazard to national security.
