According to Doña Ana County Sheriff Kim Stewart, cartels involved in human trafficking are intentionally starving and releasing illegal aliens into harsh desert terrain as a strategic diversion to open up smuggling routes in other areas.
The surge in illegal alien deaths and the strain on local resources has been noticeable.
“Here's our biggest challenge, it's been last year and this year,” Stewart told Federal Newswire. “So prior to 2023, we would have 8 to 10 deaths in the desert that are thought to be migrants. Documented, as of 2023 that is nearly 100.”
Border-crossing deaths in 2024 are on track to surpass the number of deaths in 2023.
Stewart raised concerns about the tactics used by Mexican drug cartels to exploit border enforcement resources.
“The condition on the other side of the border is worsening,” Stewart said.
“We’re seeing younger and younger people now, dying in our desert. It’s one thing if you have people 60 years old walking over and dying because of, maybe just depressed systems in general health, but now we’re seeing a large number of women as well, 30 to 40 years old. So that would suggest there might be more either waiting on the other side in conditions that aren’t good, or they’re not getting good food and water period.”
Stewart noted the strategy of releasing deathly ill undocumented aliens at the border serves as a deliberate distraction, allowing cartels to move drugs or firearms more freely through other areas.
“They can move guns or drugs, right?” Stewart said. “Because if we're busy looking over here with this group of 20... and the other thing is some of them walk off and leave these folks that are compromised and doing poorly.”
She said every death must be investigated by detectives.
“Think of it,” she said. “We might get a border patrol call. They'll give us some markers of where there are bones or where the deceased have been located.
Stewart said the amount of detective resources used in such investigations is a stress on the agency.
"That's a three to five hour deal," she said. "One day we had five.”
Stewart said dealing with the increase in deaths has put a strain on personnel.
“That is an enormous problem for my agency,” she said. “I only have 150 or so sworn officers. I have about 14 detectives. Every one of those is a homicide investigation until it isn't and we can't just go out and some grid in the desert and say, 'oh, that's an undocumented that they've died of, you know, no water or whatever.' We can't do that. So every one of them gets attention just like if they were to die on one of our streets or in some home, and we have to figure out the cause of death. That is an enormous challenge to my workforce.”
Doña Ana County, New Mexico shares about 45 miles of its southern border with Mexico.
It is located near the El Paso/Juárez metropolitan area—often referred to as the "Borderplex"
With a population of 217,522, Doña Ana County ranks as the second most populous county in the state, with roughly half of its residents living in the city of Las Cruces.
About two thirds of the county’s terrain is much more dangerous, Stewart said.
“In my terrain, if you're out at night, you can be eaten by something. It's a much harsher, difficult terrain,” she said.
Stewart said the cartels moving undocumented aliens across the border sometimes provide minimal support to those crossing the border.
“They say, walk to those lights,” Stewart said. “Well, if you've ever been in a desert area, those lights look about a half mile away but are 10 miles away. So they start walking and they are unprepared for the trip.”
Stewart, who has been sheriff for five years and in law enforcement for 45 years, explained that cartels are pushing migrants into more difficult routes through the desert after easier routes in Texas have been closed.
The increased use of routes coming through New Mexico and Doña Ana County by undocumented aliens occurred after Texas launched Operation Lone Star deploying the Texas National Guard and state’s Department of Public Safety to address the southern border crisis by combating illegal crossings, human smuggling and drug trafficking.
Stewart further shed light on the complex dynamics of drug smuggling in the jurisdiction, attributing many of the issues to cartel activities and emerging gang threats, detailing how drug trafficking often involves organized crime networks.
Stewart said the trade has been stimulated by cheap drugs on which Americans are becoming increasingly hooked.
“I think the problem that we have is because of the cheap availability of fentanyl,” she said.
She also noted the challenge of tracking and intercepting drug shipments that may traverse multiple states before reaching their destination.
“It’s cartel-related,” Stewart said. “You also have to look at where we are. Okay. So we cross Interstate 10 and Interstate 25. Interstate 10 is the major southern East-West artery of the U.S. So, is it necessarily coming over from the border? It may have come over in Arizona and then is coming through our neck of the woods.”
Stewart highlighted the significant role of cartels and related gangs in smuggling operations.
“A lot of time on the southern border is directly related to cartels,” she said. “We're having large issues with Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua coming over.”
The Tren de Aragua gang, which has terrorized South American countries for years, has been linked to recent violent incidents and criminal activities across the U.S., including attacks on police and human trafficking rings, some involving sexual slavery.
With over 70 cases involving the gang reported to law enforcement, U.S. officials are concerned about its growing influence and have urged the Biden administration to officially designate it as a Transnational Criminal Organization.
The group's expanding operations in the U.S. reflect the severe challenges facing law enforcement in addressing its impact.
“They’re more of a loosely organized group. I believe they started in Venezuela as prisoners and so over time it’s not like an organized group per se,” Stewart said.
Tren de Aragua, Stewart noted, has expanded its operations beyond its origins, adding to the complexity of the drug smuggling landscape. She warned of the gang’s wide range of criminal activities, reflecting their dangerous and unpredictable nature.
“I think they’re playing (to become a cartel),” Stewart said. “Those positions at this point from what I know, they’ll do everything from steal your prized Chihuahua to doing hit on a government official. There’s nothing they won’t embark on.”
Stewart, a Democrat, said while she is in contact with the Biden Administration, particularly the Department of Homeland Security and Bureau of Land Management, she does not weigh in on border policy.
In 2022, Stewart defeated Republican challenger Byron Hollister with 54% of the vote. She won the race despite facing a significant fundraising disadvantage on behalf of Hollister.
