A Lebanese migrant whom the United States Border Patrol caught trying to illegally enter the country said he was a member of the Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah, and that he intended to build a bomb and travel to New York.
Basel Bassel Ebbadi, 22, was apprehended on March 9 and told agents he planned to "try to make a bomb," according to documents obtained by the New York Post. Ebbadi said he had trained with Hezbollah for seven years and that this training was centered on "jihad" and killing anyone "that was not Muslim." He had planned to first go to New York and then travel elsewhere around the country.
Ebbadi also stated, however, that he had fled Lebanon because he "didn’t want to kill people."
He had no documents in his possession, which he claimed had been robbed from him in Costa Rica, and admitted to using a fake name and date of birth in three other countries.
Hezbollah, which has been involved in fighting with Israel since Oct. 7, has escalated its attacks, launching 100 rockets at the north of the country last week. This prompted the Israeli Air Force to strike Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
Border Patrol recorded 172 encounters with individuals on the terrorism watchlist in fiscal year 2023, and so far has recorded 59 for the current fiscal year.
Documents show that Ebbadi was slated for deportation, but it is unclear where he will be sent.