Three men have been arrested by federal agents for plotting to “start a war” on the Texas-Mexico border amid tensions over the nation’s immigration policies.
The men allegedly planned to travel to Texas from Tennessee with the attention of killing Border Patrol agents and immigrants crossing into the U.S.
“One of the men left a voicemail on Greg Abbott’s phone actually saying, ‘if y’all cannot take care of the border and shut it down, then we will be forced to come in and do it ourselves,’ said Matthew Watkins, managing editor for news and politics at the Texas Tribune.
Authorities say the men began organizing the plot in 2022 and intended to carry it out in October 2023.
“That plot’s foiled, of course, but raising a lot of concerns about the heated rhetoric around the border,” Watkins said.
Hear more stories from the week in Texas politics in the audio player above.
