According to a press release from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) have apparently turned to social media to recruit susceptible minors to participate in their illegal activities, reportedly offering cash on the spot to become drivers for human and narcotic smuggling operations.
Teenagers are therefore convinced to participate in human smuggling, as some are driving migrants across border towns within the Rio Grande Valley area. Fox News reported that if the juveniles agree to take the job, they are instructed to take unlawful migrants through border checkpoints and drop them at specific locations, where someone designated by the cartel then picks them up and transports them to stash houses along the United States and Mexico border.
“TCOs convince juvenile drivers that they will not face the same consequences as adults if apprehended or that law enforcement will disengage a pursuit if dangerous conditions are present,” the press release explained.
Rio Grande Valley Sector (RGV) Border Patrol agents have reportedly witnessed vehicles jammed packed with unlawful migrants traveling at high speeds and driving erratically, sometimes even towards oncoming traffic. Agents explained that these juvenile recruits are not always from the Rio Grande Valley — they can be from Houston, San Antonio or various other areas, and some have been as young as 13 years old.
From October 1 through December 31, 2021, RGV Border Patrol agents reported encounters of over 137,000 unlawful migrants, a 163% increase compared to the same time period in the previous year.
Because TCOs have now created an enlarged network through the use of social media, more than 11,000 pounds of narcotics have been seized this fiscal year by RGV agents, accounting for approximately 43% of the total narcotics seized from every port of entry into the U.S.
Narcotic and migrant smuggling are typically disrupted on U.S. Highway 77, Highway 281, and Highway 83. These roads have led to over ninety-nine vehicle pursuits so far in this fiscal year alone, compared to a total of 257 pursuits reported in the entirety of fiscal year 2021.
Brian S. Hastings, RGV Chief Patrol Agent, stated, “This is an alarming trend because many of these teenagers underestimate the severity of the crime. Not only can they be prosecuted and sent to jail, but they also endanger lives through their actions. I encourage parents to talk to their children and educate them on the potential consequences and dangers of this trend.”
