House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) warned Sunday of the impact of terrorists coming across the United States border after a man who was allegedly connected to the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel was arrested in Louisiana.
The suspected terrorist was identified as Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub Al-Muhtadi, who is a Gazan native, Fox News reported Sunday.
Officials with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested him a few weeks ago in Lafayette. He is accused of being an operative of a paramilitary group that took part in the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel that killed approximately 1,200 people.
The Fox report noted that the horrific event set off the Israel-Gaza war.
When speaking of the suspect, Johnson said, “I had no idea. It’s alarming to all of us, but I’m certainly glad that we have an administration who is prioritizing rounding up these dangerous people. It’s a great relief to a lot of folks down there.”
Breitbart News cited a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Lafayette that said the suspect arrived in the United States in September 2024 via Dallas Fort Worth International Airport:
The document alleges he lied on his visa application to enter the country, saying he had no history of paramilitary service or expertise with firearms, which could have resulted in red flags.
The complaint alleges that Al-Muhtadi was a member of the “NRB,” the military wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which coordinated with Hamas to carry out the attacks on Israel.
The complaint also included social media photos of Al-Muhtadi wearing a red NRB headband as he aims a military-style rifle in firearms training, apparently in the Middle East in 2019.
Following his arrest, U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said, “After hiding out in the United States, this monster has been found and charged with participating in the atrocities of October 7 — the single deadliest day for Jewish people since the Holocaust.” She added that officials are dedicated to finding and prosecuting individuals responsible for the October 7 attacks.
Johnson has joined other Republicans in criticizing former President Joe Biden’s (D) open border and immigration policies.
He said, “We know that terrorists got across the border, and I don’t think anybody on planet Earth can discern exactly how many. We’ll be living with the threat and the ramifications of that open border, probably for the rest of our lives.”
In September, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said two million illegal aliens have either been deported or have self-deported from the United States since President Donald Trump took office in January, Breitbart News reported.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.