Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Graeme Massie

Marjorie Taylor Greene explains why she claimed dirt-filled bag found on border was a bomb

Twitter

Marjorie Taylor Greene has explained to the country’s border patrol chief why she claimed a bag found filled with sand on the border was a bomb.

The far right-wing lawmaker posted a picture online on Wednesday of what she alleged was an explosive device planted by a drug cartel on the US-Mexico border.

Ms Greene suggested that the “bomb” was an attempt to harm Americans, which was later denied by US Border Patrol chief Raul Ortiz.

The dirt-filled bag that was mistaken for a bomb (Twitter)

“I testified before the Committee on Homeland Security & it was alleged that Agents found an explosive device near the border. During a Jan. briefing, leadership was notified that Agents found a duct-taped ball filled with sand that wasn’t deemed a threat to agents/public,” Chief Ortiz tweeted in response to the claims.

The Republican congresswoman then replied that she had simply been relaying what she was told by members of his agency.

“Unfortunately, several Border Patrol agents are saying it was some sort of IED and there is video surveillance and pictures of a man placing the device,” she tweeted.

“They say that is why agents were sent to retrieve it in the area known as No Man’s Land. This is an area controlled by the Cartels according to BP and with the shortage of agents they aren’t just walking around out there to randomly just find something like this. According to them, they were told later that it was some sort of explosive, not filled with sand.

“I’m just explaining what I was told today and with the extreme dangerous border crisis and threat from Cartels, I’m very concerned about our agents.”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.