Illegal Colombian Immigrant on Terror Watch List Apprehended in Texas

Carlos Obed Yepez-Bedoya, age 40, was apprehended at the Texas-Mexico border by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) last month. He is on the terror watchlist. 

On February 21, just days before former President Trump visited Eagle Pass and President Biden went to Brownsville, Yepez-Bedoya was caught by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) crossing near Eagle Pass. He is a Colombian national. He was a “positive match” with the terror watchlist, according to an internal agency memo. 

The memo said that he was flagged as a “group member,” which indicates he is associated with a terror organization. No specifics were given about which group he is suspected to have affiliation with. DPS arrested him and CBP picked him up. 

The suspected terrorist was arrested thanks to Operation Lone Star. Texas uses the Texas National Guard and law enforcement to assist CBP in securing the border with Mexico. Operation Lone Star is a border security initiative launched by Governor Abbott in March 2021. It was necessary because by that time it was clear that President Biden would not protect Texas and other border states from the consequences of his open southern border. Texas taxpayers foot the bill, which is in the billions of dollars. Texas spends more than any other state on border security.

Trump and Biden made visits to the Texas border with Mexico on February 29. Trump, in Eagle Pass, was accompanied by Governor Abbott. Trump spoke about the threat of “Biden migrant crime” and the recent murder of a Georgia nursing student, Laken Riley, at the hands of an illegal alien from Venezuela. Biden went to Brownsville that day but he did not mention Laken Riley. To this day, he has not said her name. Instead, Biden blamed Congress for the open border he intentionally created. 

Yepez-Bedoya’s arrest shows the need for Texas to take action to secure the state’s border since the federal government refuses to do it. Texas DPS Lt. Chris Olivarez told the NY Post the southern border is vulnerable. 

“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 Biden border crisis is a public safety crisis and a national security crisis. Border communities are dealing with an increase in crime. The open border during the Biden administration has brought a historically high number of apprehensions of people with names that match those on the terror watch list. 

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.

Governor Abbott signed a new border security law after the Texas Legislature’s fourth special session. SB 4 allows law enforcement to question people suspected of being in the state illegally. If they are here illegally, they can be detained. Judges are required to send them back to Mexico if they do not voluntarily agree to leave. Texas law enforcement members will transport them back to the border. SB 4 did not go into effect on March 5, though, because the Biden DOJ is challenging it in court. 

The Biden administration claims that immigration is a federal issue – it is – but it isn’t doing its job. Governor Abbott is doing Joe Biden’s job. 

The question isn’t if but when something horrific happens because of the open southern border. It just takes a few terrorists to murder thousands of Americans, as we cannot forget. Biden’s dereliction of duty puts our country at risk. 

Red state governors have answered the request from Governor Abbott to help Texas secure the border. Tennessee Governor Lee is the latest to send help to Texas. Tennessee National Guard members will deploy to Texas. Governor Lee visited Eagle Pass earlier this month with other Republican governors and Governor Abbott. 

“As America faces the most severe border crisis in decades, TN is showing the rest of the country what it means to lead,” the Tennessee governor posted on X. “Today, I joined TN National Guard members who will soon deploy on a voluntary mission to secure the Southern border as the federal government fails to act.”

The first deployment will consist of 50 National Guard members. The deployment will last through March. A second deployment will replace them later in the spring.