The escalating impact of illegal immigration is spreading cartel activities throughout the United States at a more rapid pace, according to Chief Investigator Jay J. Armes III of Dallas-based Armes International Investigative Services.
Armes expressed grave concerns over the current state of border security and its ramifications.
"The open border and the huge influx of illegal aliens that we're having right now is creating a perfect environment for the cartels," Armes told Federal Newswire.
Highlighting the consequences of unchecked immigration, Armes detailed how cartels exploit the situation to infiltrate their operatives deep into American soil.
"The cartels are sending manpower from Mexico into the United States to all different parts of the United States to fill positions in their organizations," he said. "Before they had to smuggle their manpower in one, two, three, five at a time. Now it's like a water hose."
Armes pointed out the rapid expansion of cartel networks across the country, facilitated by the influx of individuals with criminal affiliations; he criticized current immigration policies.
“There are so many people flowing into this country with bad intentions and with specific objectives and marching orders that I just don't understand how this was even allowed to take place,” Armes said.
Born and raised in El Paso, Armes noted his assignments over the past four decades.
"We do a tremendous amount of work in Juarez, Mexico, throughout Latin and Central and South America with the emphasis particularly on kidnapping, hostage recovery, homicide investigation, a lot of that all tied to drug trafficking and people that were victims of that industry," he said.
According to Armes, the average illegal alien is trackable; however, those sent by cartels have extensive criminal support networks, making them difficult to apprehend.
It does not help that the federal government is actively assisting those crossing the border, he added.
Armes went on to highlight the frustration among Border Patrol agents who are unable to fulfill their duties under current directives.
"They have to load the luggage up and they transport them to one of the centers, and then they're released," he said. "One of my Border Patrol friends said 'I am just a taxi service, I'm an Uber driver.'"
He called for a change in leadership to address the crisis effectively.
"It has to start from the top and it can," he said. "We know what to do. They just have to be allowed to do it."
Concerned about future implications, Armes stressed the need for decisive action.
"Even if immigration policies change, those sent by cartels pose a significant security threat," he said. "We're not just talking about drug trafficking; we're talking about organized crime on a scale that demands urgent attention."
Armes detailed the chilling evolution of Mexican drug cartels from structured organizations to ruthless, paramilitary-driven entities.
In recent weeks, several news outlets have reported that cartels claim to have illicitly been provided U.S.-made military grade FGM 148 Javelin infrared-guided, missile launchers.
"The local law enforcement is afraid to take them on," Armes said.
And for good reason.
Only days ago, Mexico City's head of intelligence and police operations, Milton Morales Figueroa, was fatally shot in a targeted attack by drug cartel gunmen.
Such attacks on police are common throughout the country.
Subsequently, public corruption is high.
“A lot of times the law enforcement is complicit,” Armes said. “The chief of police, they have them or they have a policy that they call 'plata or plomo', you know, silver or lead. In other words, you can either become rich by working with us and we'll pay you and make you a rich man. Or you get lead, which is a bullet.”
