Ryan Routh, who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump, was flagged but not thoroughly investigated after returning from Ukraine.
Just The News reported that Routh, a U.S. citizen, underwent a routine interview conducted by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials at Honolulu airport in June 2023, following his return from Ukraine. His foreign activities initially aroused suspicion among border officials because of his extensive travels and unclear motives.
During this interview, Routh inadvertently made comments that triggered alarms and prompted officials to mark him for further scrutiny.
However, his case encountered a bureaucratic hurdle as Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), declined to pursue the matter further, dismissing the need for an in-depth probe.
Either it was bureaucratic inefficiency that led to Routh escaping further investigation, or someone pulled strings to get investigations off of Routh and allow him to enter the US unchallenged. Many figures around Trump are beginning to suspect that Routh was aided in his quest to assassinate Trump.
Routh's passport was stamped with numerous entries and exits to and from the U.S., including stops in Warsaw, Amsterdam, Istanbul, and Japan between April 2022 and June 2023. These travels often led to areas near conflict zones, which might have suggested potential illicit activities or affiliations.
In the past, Routh traveled to Warsaw, Poland near the Ukraine border, and to Istanbul, Turkey. His frequent movements between hotspots raised concerns about his purposes abroad. This pattern of travel was consistent throughout 2022 and into 2023, encompassing critical periods of heightened scrutiny by international security agencies.
Further deepening the intrigue surrounding Routh were his self-proclaimed efforts to recruit soldiers for the Ukrainian conflict. By his admission, he managed to recruit about 100 foreign fighters from diverse national backgrounds including Taiwan, Afghanistan, and Moldova to assist in Ukraine's struggle against Russia.
Routh’s claims, documented during his CBP interview at Honolulu airport, detailed his recruiting operations. He offered a business card identifying himself as the director of the "International Volunteer Center," a title ostensibly linked to his recruitment activities.
The veracity of Routh's statements and the existence of the International Volunteer Center came into question when further investigations revealed discrepancies. A Ukraine-based organization by a similar name, registered after Routh’s activities, distanced itself from him, denying any association. This overlap in names but disconnection in activities painted a complex picture of Routh's involvement in Eastern Europe.
Additionally, Routh’s criminal history, which includes being flagged in 2019 for carrying a firearm as a felon, and charges connected to possessing weapons of mass destruction, likely should have spurred more aggressive follow-up by federal authorities.
Chelsea Walsh, a nurse who volunteered in Ukraine, also reported Routh to U.S. Customs for questionable activities she observed during her stint—yet another red flag that came to naught.
Despite being repeatedly flagged, including by insiders and during official procedures, the connections of the dots remained unmade. Whether due to oversight or bureaucratic inefficiencies, the multiple signals pointing to potential dangers associated with Routh's activities were overlooked.
The gravitas of these oversight implications was underscored by Jeff Danik, a 28-year veteran of the FBI, who commented on the oddity of Routh's free movements across such sensitive areas without more rigorous scrutiny from intelligence agencies.
Moreover, with Routh's multiple entries and exits from various international hubs known for their strategic importance, the expectation of tracking by intelligence seemed plausible yet was not confirmed.