A Republican Texas congressman says ISIS could work with Mexican drug cartels to enter the United States.
"I asked the chief border patrol section…chief, I said, 'Who's coming across the border from Mexico?'" Texas Rep. Ted Poe said during an appearance on Tony Perkins' radio program Washington Watch Monday. "And he said, 'Since January, people from 144 countries have come across.' He said, 'Just before you got here three Ukrainians came across the Texas-Mexico border.'"
"It's because it's open. Wide open for anyone who wishes to cross."
The Texas congressman also claimed ISIS could work with Mexican drug cartels to enter the United States.
"I mentioned several weeks ago if ISIS wants to come into the United States they'll contact the drug cartels who bring people to the United States illegally and they will bring them," he said. "The Pentagon at first said, 'Oh, that's not true.' And now the Pentagon is backing off. So let's do the obvious. Let's protect the southern border of the U.S."
American officials have repeatedly pushed back at comments from Republican members of congress and have dismissed reports that ISIS is operating or plans to use the border to enter the United States.
"There is no credible intelligence to suggest that there is an active plot by ISIL to attempt to cross the southern border," Homeland Security officials said in a written statement to New York Times.
Over the weekend, Arizona Republican Rep. Trent Franks said, "It is true that we know that ISIS is present in Ciudad Juarez or they were within the last few weeks."
Franks appeared to be cited a report from the conservative watchdog website Judicial Watch.