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Here is a link to the 31-page report entitled Stopping Terrorist Travel Through Illicit Pathways to the Homeland. This report was released on January 2, 2019, by the House Homeland Security Committee majority party members.
In general, the Report describes how the US-Mexico border is being exploited by “Special Interest Aliens” (and therefore drug and human traffickers). In general, a Special Interest Alien (SIA) is a non-U.S. citizen from a country outside the Western Hemisphere who, based on country of origin and travel pattern, poses a potential national security risk to the United States.
Clearly this report is relevant to the current proposal from President Trump to build a barrier along the entire US-Mexico border.
This is an eyeopener :: on page 7 alone :: DHS Border Patrol Agents routinely encounter SIAs at the border. It was recently reported that, as of September 2018, 630 Bangladeshi nationals have been arrested in Fiscal Year 2018 trying to enter the U.S. illegally in Laredo, Texas alone—a 300 percent increase from FY2017.29 The routes facilitating the illicit travel of these Bangladeshis are mostly controlled by TCOs and drug cartels, which charge tens of thousands of dollars to smuggle SIAs and other migrants across the U.S.-Mexico border. The Laredo Sector remains the number one target for illegal entry into the U.S.due to its more than 170 miles of unprotected river border and lack of physical barriers.” p.7
Comment by Stebbijo — January 4, 2019 @ 2:46 pm
The smuggling routes and the methods to successfully exploit them have been in place and perfected since before the United States became the United States. Even before our law enforcement, there were other thieves who would prey on the competition as well as on innocent victims. Thieves steal from other thieves.
Smuggling of contraband, regardless of its form and content, is lucrative. It is a grave mistake to underestimate the cunning and technical skills of the smugglers who also have an immense amount of nearly untraceable cash at their disposal to buy lawmakers, law enforcers, prosecutors, and judges.
Comment by Bill — January 4, 2019 @ 4:30 pm
One more reason to understand why so many of them do not want a wall and another reason they fight so hard to keep the borders open.
Comment by Stebbijo — January 4, 2019 @ 6:24 pm