On July 6, 2001, the CIA released an analytic report titled, ‘Expanding Links Between Alien Smugglers and Extremists: Threats to the United States.’ It read: “Though the vast majority of US-bound alien smuggling activity abroad is geared to serve migrants looking for a better life, occasionally such networks abet the movement of extremists, including those looking to enter the United States illegally. [Redacted] terrorists and suspected associates are tapping into fast-growing, alien smuggling networks around the world. …Alien smugglers have abetted the travel of members or affiliates of more than a dozen extremist groups–including Hizballah, HAMAS, and Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ).”
– CIA, “Expanding Links Between Alien Smugglers and Extremists: Threats to the United States,” (CIA Analytic Report), The Central Intelligence Agency’s 9/11 File:, The National Security Archive, July 6, 2001