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Migrant caught at border claimed to be Hezbollah terrorist, intended to build bomb, sources say

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Migrant caught at border claimed to be Hezbollah terrorist, intended to build bomb, sources say

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An illegal migrant caught in Texas near the Mexico border earlier this month claimed he’s a member of the terror network Hezbollah, was bound for New York and intended to make a bomb, sources confirmed to Fox News.

Basel Bassel Ebbadi, a 22-year-old Lebanese migrant, was caught in the El Paso sector on March 9, the Department of Homeland Security/Customs and Border Protection sources said, confirming the authenticity of a memo reported in the New York Post. Fox News is told further investigation will determine if he truly had terror ties and planned to launch an attack in the U.S.; the sources warned that volunteering terror connections would be highly unusual.

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Ebbadi has remained in U.S. custody and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force has been investigating the authenticity of his claims, the sources added.

The migrant claimed his training with the terror network was focused on “jihad” and “killing people that was not Muslim,” he reportedly told investigators.

WATCH: DOZENS OF MIGRANTS BREACH BORDER WALL, TAKE SELFIES ON US SIDE AS MASS ILLEGAL CROSSINGS CONTINUE

A U.S. Border Patrol agent stands on a cliff looking for migrants who crossed the border wall between the U.S. and Mexico near Sasabe, Arizona. (Salwan Georges/Washington Post via Getty Images)

Hezbollah is an Iran-backed terrorist group that has launched attacks in Israel, including recent strikes on the country in the aftermath of October’s Hamas terrorist attack and subsequent invasion of Gaza by Israel.

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But, Ebbadi apparently told investigators he had interest in leaving the group because he “didn’t want to kill people,” though he added that “once you’re in, you can never get out.”

Nevertheless, Ebbadi was placed into isolation and referred to the Tactical Terrorism Response Team (TTRT) after allegedly making “terroristic threats to personnel.”

“If an individual poses a potential threat to national security or public safety, we deny admission, detain, remove, or refer them to other federal agencies for further vetting, investigation and/or prosecution as appropriate,” a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

Documents obtained by the New York Post showed that he was marked for deportation from the U.S., though it was unknown what country he would be returned to.

A cloned U.S. Border Patrol vehicle was seized south of the border by Mexican authorities after agents saw suspicious activity nearby. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

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BORDER OFFICIALS SEE MASSIVE NEW SURGE AT SOUTHERN BORDER

According to the report, border agents encountered 98 individuals who were on a terror watchlist in fiscal 2022, a number that jumped to 172 in 2023. In the first four months of fiscal 2024, border agents have encountered 59 such individuals.

The security situation at the border has been the subject of an ongoing battle between lawmakers in Washington, with House Republicans laying the blame on the Biden administration and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for the chaos. Meanwhile, the White House has pointed to its failed attempt to support bipartisan border legislation that it argued would have helped alleviate the crisis.

A view of the border in El Paso, Texas (Kelly Laco/Fox News Digital)

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Meanwhile, U.S. Customs and Border Projection data shows fiscal 2024 border encounters continue to top recent highs, peaking at almost 302,000 in December. That number was nearly 70,000 greater than the previous year’s mark, which was already higher than the roughly 180,000 encounters in 2022 and 74,000 that were seen during December 2021.

U.S. Customs and Border protection did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.

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Boston, MA

Driver charged in Norwood pedestrian crash that left man seriously injured

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Driver charged in Norwood pedestrian crash that left man seriously injured


A man was flown to a Boston hospital after being hit by a vehicle Wednesday evening in Norwood, Massachusetts, and the driver has been arrested.

Norwood police responded shortly after 7:30 p.m. to the intersection of Washington Street and St. John Avenue.

The victim was found seriously injured. Fire crews treated him at the scene before he was taken by ambulance to a landing zone to be airlifted by medical helicopter.

Police said the woman driving the vehicle was taken into custody. She is facing charges including operating under the influence of liquor.

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The crash is under investigation.



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Pittsburg, PA

Postponed: Waiting on Parkway East bridge to be demolished in explosion

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Postponed: Waiting on Parkway East bridge to be demolished in explosion


The Parkway East’s Commercial Street Bridge is about to blow – but it’s not happening on Wednesday night.

PennDOT say they were going to bring down the bridge sometime between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Wednesday, but around 8 p.m officials and security said the explosion was postponed.

The demolition will be shown live on PennDOT’s project page or 511 PA, which also has cameras placed along the project’s detour routes.

Watch the live stream here:

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A crowd of about 100 people gathered Wednesday evening at the Summerset at Frick Park residential development for a front-row view of the bridge demolition.

The atmosphere felt more like a neighborhood block party than a construction event. Families brought their children and pets, while groups of friends arrived carrying pizzas and coolers of beer. Lawn chairs lined the hillside as people in shorts and sunglasses settled in to wait for the explosion. Some spectators wore earplugs in anticipation of the blast.

A man with a ukulele strummed some folk tunes to liven the expectant atmosphere as police wrapped red caution tape around the edge of the hill, denoting the 800-foot security perimeter around the bridge.

Merav Amos, from Squirrel Hill, brought her family for a picnic, complete with books, lawn chairs and glasses of wine.

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Amos said she planned the trip when PennDOT released its expected demolition window, but realized then and there that there was one thing she had forgotten.

“I actually hope it’s not going to be too loud, because we don’t have earplugs,” she said.

Amos lives near the Parkway East’s local detour route, and has had to deal with traffic increasing near her home since the bridge closed on Friday. She hoped watching the demolition live would provide a satisfying payoff.

“The last few days were very rough,” she said. “I want to see some action.”

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Jim Christy, of Robinson, parked in the South Side and made the journey over on his bike to watch the explosion.

Christy frequently bikes through the Frick Park trails — some of which were restricted on Wednesday ahead of the demolition.

“It better go off without a hitch,” he said.





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Connecticut

Connecticut Technical Education and Career System under investigation by U.S. Department of Education

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Connecticut Technical Education and Career System under investigation by U.S. Department of Education


(WFSB) – The Connecticut Technical Education and Career System is under investigation by the United States Department of Education.

In a letter sent to the superintendent obtained by Channel 3, the nature of the investigation centers around the district’s handling of rape and/or sexual assault cases by school staff.

“Due to the District’s inaccurate responses to the rape and/or sexual assault data elements involving allegations against school staff of OCR’s 2023–24 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC), the directed investigation will examine whether the District has policies and procedures in place to ensure accurate data collection and reporting and that its handling of the sexual harassment, including sexual assault, of students by District teachers, administrators, and/or staff members is consistent with the requirements of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX) and its implementing regulation,” said the letter in part.

Read it in full below:

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The school system issued a statement in response to the investigation.

Copyright 2026 WFSB. All rights reserved.



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