Drug cartels have initiated a strategy of overwhelming the border by directing thousands of migrants to voluntarily surrender to Border Patrol officers in various US border towns, as disclosed by sources to The NY Post. This tactic aims to tie up already overstretched border agents, enabling Mexican cartels to continue their illicit drug and human trafficking activities without disruptions in less populated regions, elucidated law enforcement officials, the Post reports.
In Eagle Pass, Texas, a group of approximately 2,200 migrants turned themselves over to officers on a Monday morning, as reported by Fox News. Video footage displayed these migrants organized in rows, awaiting processing by Border Patrol. Meanwhile, some 500 miles away in the western extremity of Texas, El Paso also experienced surges of migrants over the past week. Sources indicated that on Thursday alone, around 1,700 migrants were encountered within a 24-hour span. Subsequently, each day witnessed multiple groups of migrants, numbering in the hundreds, lining up along the border wall to surrender to officers and seek asylum in the US.
These mass surrenders have been propelled by deceptive information disseminated by the cartels, including misinformation concerning the Biden administration’s CBP One app for scheduling immigration appointments, divulged multiple law enforcement sources to The Post. One source disclosed, “They’re circulating false information that anyone waiting for a CBP One appointment can turn themselves in and get asylum.”
In El Paso, local TV station KVIA reported that up to 500 asylum-seekers, predominantly from Venezuela, queued up on a Monday to cross into the US. Although this group had crossed the border illicitly, they aspired to remain in the US while their asylum cases underwent the typically protracted adjudication process. City data indicated that on Monday, over 4,000 individuals were in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody.
Former El Paso City Councilmember Claudia Rodriquez opined, “The way it’s being orchestrated through the cartels, I believe it’s meant to overwhelm the system. The [areas] being impacted the most are border communities.” Border Patrol agents have received assistance from cargo inspection agents who have been reassigned from their regular duties to cope with the influx of migrants, as confirmed by US Customs and Border Protection.
The surge of migrants in El Paso necessitated the establishment of an emergency migrant shelter at a recreational center. Initially hesitant, city leaders ultimately decided to accommodate hundreds of migrants released by CBP in hotel rooms.
Across the entire southwestern border, nearly 9,400 migrants have entered the US within a single 24-hour period, approaching the record-setting week in May before government policies shifted, when over 10,000 individuals daily entered the country. Migrants have been observed walking along busy roads and highways, while others strive to amass sufficient funds to purchase plane or bus tickets out of town.
Crystal Sandoval of Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center previously highlighted the susceptibility of migrants to cartel-driven deceit, given their vulnerable circumstances and unfamiliar surroundings. She remarked, “A lot of the folks that are waiting in Juarez [across the border from El Paso] are very desperate, and they’ll believe anything.”
While major cities like El Paso grapple with the border crisis, smaller border communities such as Eagle Pass, with its population of 29,000, face an even more formidable burden. Texas Congressman Tony Gonzales cautioned that the influx of individuals to the US will persist and called upon the Biden administration to more rigorously enforce existing rules for asylum seekers. He emphasized, “The only way we can regain control of the southern border is by enforcing the laws that are on the books.” Gonzales stressed the urgency of this issue, asserting that Americans across the country are already experiencing the repercussions of illegal immigration.
{Matzav.com}
