SAN ANTONIO (NewsNation) — Mexican cartels are offering so-called “VIP” packages for migrants to enter the U.S., charging up to $15,000 to help them cross the southern border via underground tunnels.
These VIP packages include comprehensive services for migrants to cross the border.
What service do VIP packages include?
Cartels provide migrants with a code to identify the cartel they’ve paid, ensuring they aren’t harassed by local authorities or rival groups while navigating through a network of underground tunnels.
According to USA Today, the VIP packages range from $6,000 to $15,000 per person, offering a relatively safer and more reliable way to cross the border as transnational criminal organizations exploit the 300 miles of storm drains to continue their illegal activities.
La Linea, one of the cartels investigated by Mexican and U.S. authorities, is linked to the smuggling of at least 1,000 migrants through the tunnels per month. Mexican National Guard members, local police and immigration officials are allegedly complicit, accepting bribes to facilitate these operations.
Despite detailed reports, Mexican authorities, particularly the Juárez police, have strongly denied any involvement in the VIP smuggling operations.
Cartels use GPS and social media to minimize risks
Many migrants say their first encounter with cartels is through social media, and they are navigating their trip using their phones.
Border Patrol notes a new trend emerging referred to as the “guideless group,” where cartels abandon traditional smuggling tactics and send groups of migrants across the border alone without a guide, using GPS technology.
This tactic reduces the risk of smugglers being caught and prosecuted, benefiting both the smugglers and their organizations.
“Giving these migrants a phone with a pre-programmed route — it already has a map on there from point A to point B,” said Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol Agent Christina Smallwood. “Point A being where they will cross, all the way up to point B being what areas to avoid, letting them know if there is a higher number or presence of agents in that area. Then, it leads up to a pickup point, up to what location they have to walk to.”
This strategy not only removes the smugglers from direct involvement, reducing their risk of capture, but complicates enforcement efforts for U.S. authorities.
Cartels shifting to human smuggling
Meanwhile, cartels now prefer human trafficking over drug trafficking due to lower risk and higher profitability.
For example, while a kilogram of cocaine might bring in about $1,500 with significant risk, smuggling a person can yield between $10,000 and $15,000.
As a result, approximately 70% of their activities now focus on migrant smuggling, shifting away from their traditional drug trafficking operations.
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