Ken Broo, WLW Radio Cincinatti April 10, 2021:
Broo: Let’s start with the two men who were arrested on the terrorism watch list. They were arrested. They were stopped. But it leaves you to believe how many others might have scooted here, there or otherwhere. How much of a problem do you think this is?
Bensman: I think it’s a significant national security threat, to such an extent that I wrote a whole book about it. America’s Covert Border War is about migrants from places like Yemen and what happens with them. To me, having written a book about this, the most surprising part about these Yemenis that were apprehended is the fact that it became public. Most of these are not public, except as made so in my book America’s Covert Border War. But here, the US Customs and Border Protection’s public affairs unit put out a press release on these two guys. I’ve never seen a press release on people crossing who are on the terror watch list; that’s why it’s called “covert” border war. That was extremely unusual and the details they put in …. I screen-shotted this press release right away because I knew it could not possibly be left up there. And sure enough, within 24 hours, they took it down. But that is very typical of all year round, the kind of apprehensions we make secretly at the border. People who are on the terror watch list probably by my count about 20 a year at the border and also coming to the border in other countries like Panama, Costa Rica and Mexico.
Broo: The one guy who was apprehended had a cell phone SIM card hidden in his shoe. Now, why would someone do that? What could be the reason why someone would feel they had to hide a SIM card in the sole of their shoe? Obviously, there was a reason. Do we know the reason?
Bensman: It would be speculative on my part but I’m happy to do it. My speculation – and it is informed speculation – is that it would contain the names of people, phone numbers and other material on there about other terrorists. And the FBI has that material now, has undoubtedly unloaded all of it and are piecing together a network of whoever this guy was attached to in the old country. Regular immigrants don’t go to the trouble of hiding that in the insoles of their shoes as they are crossing. Also, I’ll mention that this particular individual was not only on the FBI terrorism watch list but on the No Fly list, which is a very high bar to get on that. You have to be dangerous to be on that.