New escalating revelations of a sophisticated human smuggling operation, a joint investigation by Mexican and U.S. authorities has exposed how the Juárez-based cartel, La Linea, is capitalizing on migrant desperation, reshaping criminal dynamics and highlighting deep-seated challenges in border security and law enforcement.
An ongoing joint investigation by Mexican and U.S. authorities has uncovered significant operations by the Juárez-based cartel, La Linea, revealing a lucrative trade in human smuggling through tunnels into El Paso. According to a senior Mexican official, the cartel has been facilitating the passage of at least 1,000 migrants per month, marking a dramatic shift in criminal focus from drug trafficking to exploiting migrants seeking entry into the United States.
Arturo Velasco, head of the anti-kidnapping unit at the Chihuahua attorney general’s office, highlighted this evolution in cartel activities: "Criminals have shifted from their primary business, which was drug trafficking. Now, 60-70% of their focus is migrant smuggling." He emphasized that trafficking individuals has become more profitable and less risky than dealing in narcotics. While a kilo of cocaine might fetch $1,500, the returns for trafficking a person range from $10,000 to $15,000.
The uptick in migrant smuggling has paralleled global economic downturns exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting increased migration from Latin American countries affected by economic instability, climate-related disasters, and pervasive violence. These factors have driven many to seek refuge and opportunity in the United States, creating a ripe market for criminal exploitation.
Inés Barrios de la O, an immigration specialist at the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juárez, noted the surge in remittances sent by migrants back to Mexico, underscoring the financial stakes involved. "Remittances in cities like Ciudad Juárez have doubled to nearly $90 million per trimester so far in 2024," she stated, contrasting sharply with the $40 to $60 million range observed in 2015. This economic lifeline reflects the pressures faced by migrants who often embark on perilous journeys with their lives at stake.
The smuggling network relies heavily on corruption within Mexican border authorities and local law enforcement, as described by Oscar Hagelsieb, a former U.S. Homeland Security Investigations official in Ciudad Juárez. He highlighted pervasive collusion between criminal groups and authorities at various levels, including the Mexican National Guard and immigration officials, who facilitate the movement of migrants into the hands of cartels.
"Corruption in Juárez, or in any other Mexican border city, must be in collusion with authorities," Hagelsieb asserted, outlining a system where bribes and illicit agreements enable criminal operations to flourish unchecked. Investigations have uncovered instances where federal law enforcement and municipal police are complicit in trafficking migrants, sometimes abducting individuals and delivering them to criminal groups for profit.
Despite allegations of widespread corruption, local officials have denied involvement. César Omar Muñoz Morales, municipal police Chief of Juárez, refuted claims of systemic corruption within his department, insisting on the absence of formal complaints. However, Velasco, from the Chihuahua attorney general’s office, confirmed cases where municipal police have been implicated in kidnapping migrants, perpetuating a cycle of exploitation and violence.
The operations extend beyond mere transportation, with reports of migrants being held in safe houses under threatening conditions until exorbitant fees are paid. This coercion underscores the vulnerability and dire circumstances faced by migrants caught in the web of criminal exploitation.
The complex interplay between economic hardship, environmental disasters, systemic corruption, and criminal exploitation has transformed border regions into battlegrounds for organized crime. As authorities on both sides of the border intensify efforts to dismantle smuggling networks, the plight of migrants continues to highlight broader challenges in immigration enforcement, human rights, and regional security.
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