US on track to intercept 16 times as many suspected terrorists at border under Trump thanks to cartel designations

Published July 9, 2026 6:00am ET | Updated July 9, 2026 7:58am ET



Federal law enforcement at the nation’s borders is on track to stop 16 times as many people on the FBI’s terrorist watch list this year than it did in any year during the Biden administration, according to a Washington Examiner investigation.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, an agency under the Department of Homeland Security, is on track to encounter more than 12,000 known or suspected terrorists along the border with Canada and Mexico, including at ports of entry where vehicles cross and between the ports where migrants attempt to enter illegally.

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