US Intelligence Officials are worried that human smuggling rings could bring in terrorists into the United States.

From the AP (Via Google News):

In the 12 months that ended last Sept. 30, U.S. officials caught 372 East Africans trying to get into the country, the assessment said. This is the most from these countries since the Homeland Security Department was formed in 2003. And 159 people from the same countries have been caught trying to enter since Oct. 1 — including 138 from Eritrea, far more than any other country in the Horn of Africa.

“Any time we shut down a smuggling organization, there’s always somebody there to step in the place,” said Scott Hatfield, unit chief of the Human Smuggling division at Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “There’s always that potential that a terrorist might use an established network to come to the U.S.”