FBI Director Kash Patel said roughly 178,000 Chinese nationals attempted to cross the U.S. southern border between 2022 and 2025. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)
While Patel noted that adversaries have not stopped using the southern border altogether, the "monumental effort" to secure the border and stop known or suspected terrorists from coming into the country has made moving people and substances, such as fentanyl, illegally more difficult since President Donald Trump took office.
Patel's comments come as Trump has overseen a dramatic shift at the U.S. southern border since taking office in January, with the number of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recorded encounters plummeting by 90% in most sectors compared to the same time period last year.
That shift has been aided by deployments of thousands of U.S. military troops to the border, who have assisted CBP agents with everything from reinforcing barriers to surveillance of potential illegal crossers.
FBI Director Kash Patel warned lawmakers that adversaries may begin to utilize the northern U.S. border. (Kash Patel headshot)
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Patel warned that the new security of the southern border could now open up threats to the north, arguing that U.S. adversaries will use the same tactics they previously used on sectors not receiving as much security attention.
The FBI did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
Michael Lee is a writer for Fox News. Prior to joining Fox News, Michael worked for the Washington Examiner, Bongino.com, and Unbiased America. He has covered politics for more than eight years.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-canada-border-eyed-vulnerability-china-russia-says-patel-the-enemy-adapts