Todd Bensman

From Journalism to Counterterrorism Intelligence - and Back.

Permanent Collections

VIDEO: Center for Immigration Studies panel discussion at The National Press Club

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Washington, D.C. - The vetting – or lack thereof – of asylum applicants has received little attention, a serious national security oversight. The Center for Immigration Studies hosted a panel discussion on Wednesday, May 10, 2017 focusing on the security threat posed by the ineffective vetting of those applying for asylum, specifically addressing the weaknesses in the "credible fear" … [Read more...] about VIDEO: Center for Immigration Studies panel discussion at The National Press Club

Jihadists at the Door: Countering Terrorist Infiltration at America’s Land Borders

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By Todd Bensman, Special to Homeland Security Today, December 2016  Todd Bensman In March 2011, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) investigators set their final dragnet at the Miami International Airport and waited to score a win in the war on terror. Soon enough, their longtime quarry, Iran Ul Haq, a Pakistani resident of Ecuador they’d been tracking across the globe for months, … [Read more...] about Jihadists at the Door: Countering Terrorist Infiltration at America’s Land Borders

Jihadists at the Door: Countering terrorist infiltration of America’s land borders

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A February 2016 article in Homeland Security Today describes the most successful law enforcement tactics used in international investigations of human smugglers who transport immigrants from terror countries of interest In March 2011, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) investigators set their final dragnet at the Miami International Airport and waited to score a win in the war on terror. … [Read more...] about Jihadists at the Door: Countering terrorist infiltration of America’s land borders

How smugglers use the Middle East-based consulates of Latin American nations

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This series of stories shows how smugglers corrupt the foreign embassies and consulates of Latin America in the Middle East to gain the documents needed to reach the southern border. Mexico and Latin American embassies implicated in such travel include those in Beirut, Singapore, Mumbai, Belize, Turkey, Kenya, Cuba, and Jordan. Smuggling ring ferrying African from terror watch countries had … [Read more...] about How smugglers use the Middle East-based consulates of Latin American nations

Tom Coleman is Not the Biggest Racist in America

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Long before "fake news," there was Tulia When 10 percent of the black residents of a small Panhandle town were busted for drugs, the white cop responsible became the national poster boy for racism. Tom Coleman was the Mark Fuhrman of Texas, the most hated lawman in America. Guess what? The media got the Tulia story all wrong—or never wanted to know the truth. BY TODD BENSMAN PUBLISHED IN D … [Read more...] about Tom Coleman is Not the Biggest Racist in America

Iraqi border jumpers

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Three Iraqis tell how they reached Texas boarder In 2009, ICE allowed Todd Bensman into the detention facility at Pearsall, Texas to interview three captured Iraqi Kurds. Their story shed rare public light on smuggling routes and methods of traveling from Iraq to Texas. August 24, 2009 · 10:52 AM UTCUpdated:May 30, 2010 · 9:05 AM EDTBy Todd Bensman PEARSALL, Texas — One fled the … [Read more...] about Iraqi border jumpers

Can a Mexican Cop Find Asylum in North Texas?

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As drug violence escalates, Mexican cops are fleeing the country. A Dallas immigration judge may decide whether one cop on the run lives or dies. ByTodd BensmanPublished in D MagazineNovember2009 One day in April of last year, four-year police veteran Jose Alarcon and his partner, Capt. Felipe Galindo, detained two armed drug dealers after making a traffic stop in Juarez, Mexico. It … [Read more...] about Can a Mexican Cop Find Asylum in North Texas?

Mexican cartels go truly global

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From Africa to the Middle EastImagine Mexican drug cartel operatives strolling with robed business prospects in the souks of Damascus and Tehran. Or cash-laden Mexican traffickers setting up business offices in African cities like Kinshasa and Accra. Or maybe even Mexican drug syndicate emissaries plying the streets of Baghdad outside the Green Zone. There’s nothing fictional about any of … [Read more...] about Mexican cartels go truly global

Iran Reaches Out to Mexico

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April 9, 2009 The Global Post After strengthening ties with other Latin American countries, Iran pushes for closer ties with Mexico. SAN ANTONIO, Tex. — While U.S. leaders remain fixated on Mexico’s drug war, Iran has quietly sought to establish closer ties to Mexico, with almost no notice. Over the last year, Iran has been pushing for an expansion of trade and diplomatic ties between … [Read more...] about Iran Reaches Out to Mexico