Homeland Security State Director: Militants Possibly Teaming with Drug Cartels

Residents cautioned when crossing border

MCALLEN - The state director of Homeland Security says Valley residents are in danger.

"Al-Qaida has discussed, has considered, is still considering leveraging the southwest border of the U.S. as an entry point for operatives," says Steve McCraw, who works as the State Director for the Department of Homeland Security.

In the last two years, 497 illegal aliens of concern were arrested crossing the Texas-Mexico border. They were from special interest countries such as Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Jordan.

McCraw tells us, "Those countries are defined and listed by the State Department, and they have an international terrorism nexus that could be Al Qaida, could be Hamas, Hezbollah or violent terrorism organizations."

He adds those violent militant groups could be teaming up with the dangerous drug cartels and numerous human smuggling organizations.

"What they're going to try to use is those crime organizations to facilitate the movement of themselves or commodities to cross the border into the U.S. undetected," explains the state director.

He says the people who live in the Rio Grande Valley mustn't ignore the fact they are living in a high level of danger.

McCraw says residents should use common sense when traveling across the border to Mexico, because the risk of danger is too high to take your safety for granted.