Illegal migrant on terror watchlist arrested at Eagle Pass days before Trump, Biden visits: sources
Border Patrol agents arrested an illegal immigrant on the terror watchlist at Eagle Pass, Texas, shortly before former President Donald Trump’s visit to the area, The Post can reveal.
Agents apprehended Colombian national Carlos Obed Yepez-Bedoya, 40, on Feb. 21 and determined he was a “positive match” with the terror watchlist, according to an internal agency memo exclusively provided to The Post.
The memo also said he was flagged as a “group member,” indicating he is associated with a terror organization, although it didn’t give specifics about with which group he is suspected to have affiliation.
Yepez-Bedoya was caught after illegally crossing into the US by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), which initially arrested him, and then alerted the Border Patrol to come pick him up, per the report.
The arrest was made as part of Operation Lone Star, in which Texas uses its National Guard and law enforcement units to assist in securing the border.
Trump made his visit to be briefed on border security by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Feb. 29. While there, he emphasized the threat of what he dubbed “Biden migrant crime” while highlighting the recent murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley allegedly at the hands of Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela.
That same day, President Biden traveled to Brownsville, Texas, where he urged congressional action to pass a funding bill to secure the southern border.
Texas DPS Lt. Chris Olivarez told The Post the arrest of Yepez-Bedoya emphasizes the need for the state to take action to secure the border while the federal government is falling short.
“This underscores the need for border security measures as potential threats to both public safety and national security are evident and exploit security vulnerabilities.
“The federal government has failed to enact border security measures, and the state of Texas, through Governor Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, will continue to take unprecedented action to help secure the border,” Olivarez said.
The number of terror watchlisted people attempting to enter the US has exploded in recent years, as the number of border crossings generally has surged to record levels, with 2.4 million encounters on the southwest border in the financial year 2023.
In the four months between October 2023 and January, the Border Patrol made 59 arrests of terror-watchlisted individuals on both the northern and southern borders.
There were also 172 arrests in fiscal year 2023 and 98 in fiscal year 2022. When Trump was in the White House, there were only 16 in fiscal year 2021, according to federal data, and 14 total encounters of terror watchlisted individuals between fiscal years 2017 and 2020.
The arrest comes as Texas is hoping to implement its new border security law, SB4. The law allows state law enforcement to arrest anyone who illegally crosses the border into Texas and gives them the option of prison or voluntarily leaving the country. The law has been passed but is still caught up in the courts as it has been appealed up to the Supreme Court.
“This historic law would undeniably deter and prevent the entry of illegal immigrants with violent criminal histories and those on the terror screening database. Texas will continue to use every tool and strategy to safeguard Texas and the nation,” Olivarez added.
The Border Patrol memo stated that Yepez-Bedoya would be prosecuted for illegal entry into the country and was being processed for expedited removal from the US, back to Colombia.
The US Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
