Abandoned bag near the border wall in southern Texas yields ammo, homemade explosive device

11/05/2023 / By Richard Brown

American border patrol agents along the southern Texas border wall in Starr County have found a backpack loaded with ammo and a homemade explosive device, raising alarm among Republican senators questioning the border policies of the Biden administration.

On Friday, Nov. 3, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said the abandoned bag containing a potential homemade explosive was discovered about two months ago near the border in Fronton, Texas.

Assisted by law enforcement from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), police took the device away and detonated it. The CBP classified the device as a “noise maker” as it contained flash powder.

Although flash powder was found inside the backpack, the CBP said there was no fragmentation to cause major injuries or casualties.

Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), who also serves as chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, disclosed this alarming information during a press conference on October 31. He was joined by Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska) following their recent visit to the U.S.-Mexico border.

These senators argued that there have been over eight million illegal border crossings during President Joe Biden’s tenure. They emphasized that the discovery of explosive devices on some border crossers in recent days significantly heightens the risk of potential terrorist acts on U.S. soil.

“We have just returned from our southern border, and it is painfully clear that with Joe Biden’s open border policy, our country is really at an increased threat for a terrorist attack,” Barrasso said. (Related: Biden admin finally admits there’s an “acute and immediate need” for a border wall as Democrat-run cities are OVERRUN by illegals.)

Barrasso described these devices as the “size of cannonballs” and suggested that they were “tailor-made for terrorism.”

Additionally, Senator Ricketts pointed out that due to what he labeled as Biden’s “failed” border policies, 18 individuals on the terrorist watchlist were apprehended while entering the U.S. illegally in September. There were 172 such cases last year.

FBI director acknowledges increased threat of terrorism on U.S. soil

The heightened terror threat facing the U.S. was also acknowledged by FBI Director Christopher Wray, who issued a stark warning while testifying before Congress on October 31. Wray highlighted the increased threat posed by “homegrown extremists” and foreign terrorist organizations calling for attacks against Americans and the West.

The rise in the terror threat has been a growing concern. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) previously issued a terror alert earlier this year, warning of a “heightened threat environment” and individuals with links to foreign terrorist organizations potentially targeting various facilities and infrastructure in the United States.

In September, there were over 269,000 individuals apprehended while illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, marking a record high for a single month. Barrasso attributed this alarming situation to the fact that Homeland Security raised the terror threat level, given the increasing number of people entering the country illegally and the significant “gotaways” who evade capture. (Related: Texas border sector reports 10K known border crossers in single week.)

According to the House Committee on Homeland Security, there have been 1.7 million “gotaways” since Biden took office.

The blame for the border crisis, according to Ricketts, falls squarely on the Biden administration, which he argued has created the crisis. He stressed the importance of restoring the Trump-era “Remain in Mexico” policy as a significant step to address the situation effectively. This policy, known as the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), required asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for their U.S. court hearings.

In response to the latest illegal immigration data from September, the CBP deployed additional resources and vowed to remain vigilant in enforcing immigration laws. Biden, meanwhile, requested additional funding to address the border crisis, with a significant portion allocated to support Israel and Ukraine in their ongoing conflicts.

Watch a senator gets into a heated exchange with the Biden border chief over terrorists at the border.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.