The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a warning to migrants attempting to cross the border via an illegal smuggling operation. CBP said in a tweet that smugglers have continued to risk the lives of others for personal gain and told migrants not to make the life-threatening trip.
“Smugglers continue to recklessly endanger lives for their own financial gain," CBP wrote on Twitter. "Crossing the border unlawfully is extremely dangerous. Our message to migrants: don’t take the dangerous journey, only to be sent back.”
CBS wrote Border Patrol recorded approximately 853 dead migrants during its 2021 fiscal year.
The fiscal year 2022 marked the deadliest year for migrants recorded by the U.S. government, with a minimum of 853 individuals losing their lives while attempting to unlawfully cross the U.S.-Mexico border, reported CBS in 2022.
CBS added many migrants faced drowning, intense heat and falls from climbing CBP's border barriers.
U.S. Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens also has spoken out on human smugglers. He tweeted on July 21, “69 Migrants found inside a trailer near Hebbronville, Texas (7/19). Smugglers do not care about [the] safety of migrants, only the money gained. Despite the number of deaths that have occurred from this transport method, smugglers continue endangering lives.”
Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels said in the Sinema press release that approximately 44% of total arrests in his county relate to border crimes.
The Federal Newswire reported that Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) addressed the issue of human smuggling, particularly the way the cartels lure in young adults and teens. The Federal Newswire reported that on June 14, she announced the approval of the Combating Cartels on Social Media Act, a joint measure with Senator James Lankford (R-OK) aimed at addressing the cartels' use of social media for human and drug trafficking recruitment in the U.S., specifically the recruitment of teenagers and young people. The bill mandates the Department of Homeland Security to improve its monitoring of cartels on social media platforms. Notably, the legislation has garnered support from multiple senators in addition to passing the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
CBS noted migrants still face risks even after crossing the border, mentioning the 53 dead migrants abandoned in a trailer in San Antonio, Texas.
“Many Americans are not aware of the fact that the drug cartels in Mexico, who have no regard for human life, are routinely using social media platforms to recruit Americans to assist them with their smuggling operations," Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, said in a Sinema press release. "We see teenagers, some of whom are not even old enough to have a driver’s license lured into transporting illegal narcotics and aliens. The cartels promise easy money and thrill. What these young people often get is a dangerous high-speed chase and a felony conviction. These young people literally ruin their lives before they have even reached adulthood. I am so pleased to see this legislation clear the Senate Homeland Security Committee and I hope that Congress can quickly pass this legislation.”
