• • l ' •• • APPROVED FOR RELEASEL DATE 25-April-2012 1100160 co- -t 537 33 ' • Expanding Links Between Alien Smugglers and Extremists Threats to the United States I Key Findings U I Travelers associated with various terrorist groups-including Hizballah HAMAS and the Egypti Islamic Jihad-are tapping into global alien smuggling networks to abet their movements around the worl includin to the United State I tfbeextre m 1s tgro--up_s_typ -- 1c-- --- --- -e-a 1-en_s_m_u_g_g m --g- mdustry for • Documents They solicit help from document vendors who cater to illegal migrants to receive genuine-though fraudulently obtained-passports vis and other identification documents from corru t 0 • • Logistics They pay smugglers to make travel lodging and other logistical an-angeme ts and to pay off corrupt officials who ensure that organization members can slip through various travel and security checkpoints I I · Against a backdrop of strong continued dem nci for global illegal migration-including to the United States-and an inability of many countries to fortify their immigration regimes opportunities for extremists to sustain or expand linkages to alien smuggling networks and to sl p into the flows pr bably also will grow • Most countries outside the developed world-especially in or near fraudulent document centers that abet terrorist rnovements--remain ill equipped to effectively monitor their borders l gely because of underfunded and poorly trained immigration regimes - -·· ------------ _- _- _- _- _- _-------- • • - -- • • Expanding Links Between Alien Smugglers and Extremists o the United States · I Terrorists Tap Into Alien Smuggling Networks I Though the vast majority of US-bound alien smuggling activity abroad is geared to serve migrants looking for a better life occasionally such etworks · abet the movement of extremists including those • Alien smugglers have abetted1he travel of members or affiliates of more than a dozen extremist gi oups-including Hizballah HAMAS and 'Key Areas of Support Documents and E tian Islamic Jihad I Transportation U • Alien smugglers help extremists-wi ingly or · unwittingly-by providing false documentation and facilitating transportation particularly through Latin America but also in Asi the Middle Bas and Euro e Such links between alien smuggling and the movement of extremists underscores the dimensions of the national ·security threat associated with the extensive alien smuggling infrastructure that su orts US-bound ille al mi ts • I This assessment was prepared by the Office of Transnational Issues Comments and queries are welcome and may be direct to _ ------ co 453733 --------------- ---------· -----· s 1 ---- --- •• I I uocument venam-s prov1oe genum --iuOU 1 11 fraudulently obtained-passports visas and other identification documents obtained from corrupt official ' mugglers make travel lodging and other logistical ammge lents and pay off colTtlpi officials who ensure 1 asS3l e throuim various checknoints - • - • I C0 463 733 s l • ' I ' ' i i ' Continued Thr ats to Security I Against a b ckdrop of strong continued demand for global illegal migration-including to the United · States-and an inability of many countries to fortify their immigration regimes opportunities for extremists to sustain or expand linkages to alien smuggling networks and to slip into the flows probably also will grow • I i _____ • • Most countries outside the developed world-especially in or near fraudulent document centers that abet terrorist movements-remain ill equipped to effectively monitor their borders largely because of poorly funded and trained immigration regimes • • • C054 53 J33 1- ' • ' - • • • SFCRE1'-----' • • • B SECRE C064'5 733 C064'53 733 1 - • • • 8 --SEeRs j'----___J I C0 34·53 733 • • -·· • CO-t5 4 5 J7 3 3 • - •r--------- ------ • •