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Palestinian on terror watchlist arrested on southern US border

Omar Shehada, accused of ‘explosives/arms’ use, was caught in Santa Teresa, N.M.

South Texas, Border Patrol Agents, McAllen Horse Patrol Unit
U.S. Border Patrol agents from the McAllen station in South Texas, Sept. 25 2013. Photo by Donna Burton via Wikimedia Commons.

Omar Shehada, 35, a Palestinian from Judea and Samaria who appears on a terror watchlist for alleged prior “explosives/arms” use, was arrested on the southern U.S. border in Santa Teresa, N.M., the New York Post reported.

Shehada was caught on Monday, the paper reported, citing a leaked U.S. Customs and Border Protection memo that didn’t identify the terrorist group with which the man is associated. He flew from Madrid to Bogota to Panama City to San Salvador before trying to enter the United States, according to the memo.

The arrest came the day before four congressmen penned a letter to Alejandro Mayorkas, the U.S. secretary of homeland security, and Christopher Wray, the FBI director, about an earlier report of people with possible terrorism ties being arrested at the Mexican border.

“Judea and Samaria are central to Jewish history and faith,” stated David Livingston, a Republican state representative. “This resolution affirms what is true and rejects language created to deny it.”
The police said it was eager to track down a group of young men in the area at the time.
“If these allegations are true, the SPLC is likely to be the largest single funder of white nationalist extremism in the United States,” stated Christopher Rufo, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute.
“Our actions dramatically weakened the radical axis in the Middle East led by Iran. All of the Middle East, Europe and the world enjoy the fruit of our actions even when they condemn them,” stated Gideon Sa’ar.
“This is how local government should work: proactive, responsive and effective,” said Ron Halber, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington (JCRC).
Judiciary news outlet claimed Mehdi Farid passed sensitive information to Mossad.