Johnson, Scalise demand answers after suspected Hamas operative discovered on US soil

FIRST ON FOX: Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., are sounding alarms to the Trump administration after a man allegedly involved in the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack in Israel was arrested in Louisiana.

Johnson and Scalise, who are both from Louisiana, led Republicans in their delegation in a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem about the case of Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub Al-Muhtadi.

They asked for a briefing from Bayou State lawmakers as well as information on any other potential terror threats, which they blamed on the record surge of illegal immigrants coming across the U.S.-Mexico border under former President Joe Biden.

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Speaker Mike Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise are leading Louisiana Republicans in demanding answers about a suspected Hamas-linked terrorist arrested in their state last week. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; FBI Affidavit; Alex Wong/Getty Images)

“We appreciate the job you are doing to keep Americans safe here at home and write you as members of the Louisiana congressional delegation to request a briefing regarding how Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub Al-Muhtadi came to reside in Lafayette, Louisiana, after entering the United States in 2024 during the Biden administration’s dangerous open borders policy,” the Louisiana lawmakers wrote.

They cited public information and reports that “Al-Muhtadi is alleged to have participated in the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led terrorist attacks against Israel and to have entered the United States the following year after falsely concealing his affiliations on his visa application.”

“He was later located living and working in Lafayette, Louisiana, before being taken into custody by federal authorities,” they wrote. “We would also like to be informed about any additional terrorist threats in our state due to President Biden’s dangerous and deadly immigration policies.”

The letter is also signed by Louisiana Republican Reps. Julia Letlow and Clay Higgins, as well as Sens. John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy.

Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub Al-Muhtadi, shown on the left, “crossed into Israel with the intention of assisting in Hamas’ terrorist attack,” on Oct. 7, 2023, according to the FBI. (Justice Department)

The DOJ, which announced Al-Muhtadi’s arrest late last week, said he entered the country under false pretenses on Sept. 12, 2024. 

A press release by the department accused the 33-year-old of being part of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine’s (DFLP) military wing, a Gaza-based group it says participated in the attack alongside Hamas.

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“As set forth in documents filed yesterday, on October 7, when Al-Muhtadi learned of the unfolding barbaric attack on Israel and civilians from multiple nations, including the United States, he sprang into action,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. 

“He armed himself, recruited additional marauders, and then entered Israel, where there is evidence placing him near one of the worst-hit Israeli communities.”

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There were multiple reported instances of people suspected of terror affiliations entering the country under the prior administration’s watch.

In March of last year, a 22-year-old linked to Hezbollah was caught by border agents in Texas and immediately taken into federal law enforcement custody, according to the New York Post. He was deported earlier this year.

Fox News Digital reached out to DHS for a response but did not immediately hear back.