Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge, Robert Hammer, has stated that cartels have extended their influence into the U.S. through witness intimidation tactics. This statement came after an alleged drug trafficker was indicted for murdering two witnesses to prevent them from testifying in drug trafficking prosecutions in San Diego.
"The cartels and drug trafficking organizations have reached beyond our borders, bringing their criminality to every city and small town in our interior," said Hammer, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. "The murder of witnesses is an afront to our rule of law but HSI, along with our law enforcement partners, have the resources to uncover these horrible crimes and the dedication to dismantle the organizations harming our population, wherever they may be located."
According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California, an unsealed superseding indictment implicates an alleged drug trafficker, Benjamin Madrigal-Birrueta, in the murder of two witnesses. The aim was to block their testimony in San Diego drug trafficking prosecutions. "These executions were an assault on our justice system, designed to silence witnesses and instill fear," said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. The victims, residents of Yakima, Washington, were buried in a remote location. Ricardo Orizaba was also charged with being an accessory after the fact to the murders. HSI led the investigation using various techniques including geophysicists, ground-penetrating radar, and cadaver dogs. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen H. Wong and Alicia P. Williams are prosecuting this case.
The New York Post reported that on February 20, Mexican cartels fired gunshots at migrants attempting to cross the southern border in Ubers, resulting in one woman from Ecuador losing her life. These attacks were attributed to cartel disputes over territorial rights for crossing migrants. Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels emphasized the control cartels exert over border crossings by stating that migrants require cartel permission and payment to cross safely.
Chief Patrol Agent John Modlin of Tucson Sector testified at a House Homeland Security Committee hearing in December 2023 where he said: "Now nobody crosses without paying the cartels...the cartels determine when people cross...how many people cross at a time...It’s all controlled by them." Other border patrol chiefs who testified at the hearing noted how migrants who attempt to cross without permission face consequences. The cartels strategically use diversion tactics and overwhelm Border Patrol resources by orchestrating large group crossings, while also exploiting vulnerable individuals. Reports indicate that cartel involvement extends beyond smuggling, with incidents of trafficking, assaults, and fatalities along the border.
Hammer serves as the special agent in charge at HSI for the Pacific Northwest region, which includes Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Arkansas according to his LinkedIn profile.
