Letter to Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security - Rep. Nehls Asks Mayorkas to Secure Borders from Released Venezuelan Prisoners Among Caravans

Letter

Dear Secretary Mayorkas,

We write you with serious concern about a recent U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) intelligence report received by the Border Patrol that instructs agents to look for violent criminals from Venezuela among the migrant caravans heading towards the U.S.-Mexico border.

It has been widely reported that the Venezuelan regime, under the control of Nicolás Maduro Moros, is deliberately releasing violent prisoners early, including inmates convicted of "murder, rape, and extortion," and pushing them to join caravans heading to the United States. Some of the released prisoners have already been spotted within migrant caravans traveling from Tapachula, Mexico, toward our southern border as recently as July of this year, meaning they could already be in our interior.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), between October 2021 and July 2022, more than 130,000 Venezuelan nationals were encountered after entering the United States illegally. As a result of the Biden Administration's disastrous border policies, it is unknown how many violent Venezuelan prisoners have been released into the interior of the U.S., as identifying Venezuelans with criminal records is nearly impossible unless the individual admits their records to U.S. authorities. This will undoubtedly put our country in grave danger.

Therefore, we ask you to respond to the following questions:

Does DHS have a projected headcount of how many released Venezuelan prisoners are expected to enter the U.S?
What precautions is DHS taking to prevent these dangerous criminals from entering the interior?
Is DHS aware of the current location or final destination of the released prisoners?
How many Venezuelan nationals have already attempted to enter the U.S. at the southern border since President Biden took office? How many of them have a criminal conviction on their record?
Have any of the Venezuelan nationals encountered at the southern border this year been suspected to be released prisoners?
How many Venezuelan nationals encountered at the border have been released into the U.S. interior or are suspected got-aways? How many of these individuals have a criminal conviction?
Is the U.S. able to access criminal databases in Venezuela to ensure violent criminals are not released into the country? If not, how are you ensuring Venezuelan nationals who are released into the interior do not have a criminal conviction?
Have you been in contact with the Maduro regime or the Guaidó administration, which the United States recognizes as Venezuela's legitimate interim president, about the recent report?
Do you have reason to believe that the release of the convicts could be a purposeful geopolitical move specifically intended to impact U.S. national security? Do you have reason to believe the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) played a role in the deliberate releases?
Please provide any Field Intelligence Reports from the last six months that indicate Venezuelan criminals are attempting to make entry into the United States across the southern border. Additionally, please provide any I- 213 forms from the last six months that indicate that Venezuelan nationals with criminal affiliations were concealing themselves within migrant caravans crossing the southern border.
America's adversaries despise what our country stands for and are now sending their most dangerous individuals to our borders, where they will have no trouble getting in as a result of the Biden Administration's failed immigration policies. Our overworked border patrol agents can only do so much for so long without your help. As members of Congress, we urge you to take steps Congressional Republicans have continuously called for to secure our borders and prevent these dangerous individuals from entering the United States.

Thank you for your attention to this serious matter, and we look forward to your prompt response.

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