Homeland Security officials have warned migrants and their families about the dangers of relying on human smugglers to gain passage across the U.S.-Mexico border amid the ongoing heat wave.
As temperatures soar well into triple digits, the perilous journey through the treacherous desert landscape is increasingly dangerous for people fleeing Mexico into the Rio Grande Valley region. The sweltering heat wave gripping the region has exacerbated the already formidable challenges migrants deal with, and the risks of getting heat exhaustion, dehydration, or even dying have spiked.
Mark Lippa, deputy special agent in charge, told Border Report that Mexican cartels operating human trafficking do not care about the wellbeing of migrants.
A U.S. flag flies behind the border fence that divides Mexico and the U.S., in Tijuana, Mexico. Homeland Security officials have issued a warming amid the heat wave.
Denis Poroy/AP
He said officers often find migrants injured, dehydrated and alone after being abandoned by Mexican drug cartels following payments made to human traffickers.
Lippa said in the interview with Border Report that migrants “are often found in conditions that are not worthy of humans.
“The message is human smuggling is very dangerous. If you or a family member are thinking of having a family member smuggled in, think again. Don’t do it. You are placing your family member in the hands of someone who is not going to care for that family member. We’ve had cases that have wound up in abusive situations, rape or even death.
“There’s a variety of different means here in the Rio Grande Valley that human smugglers use. We have seen everything from being crossed by land, to maritime smuggling events, sadly some that have resulted in deaths. Some have involved aviation smuggling. We’ve had investigations that have involved trains and even the backs of tractor-trailers.”
Brad Jones, a professor of political science at the University of California, told Newsweek that Donald Trump‘s flagship border wall policy has “encouraged” and “incentivized” risk-takers.
“Building a 30ft wall doesn’t deter entry that policymakers think it does, what it does, is it incentives risk-takers.”
According to the latest data released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, there were 171 migrant deaths, including 52 who died in CBP custody, in the 2021-2022 fiscal year.
Migrants walk along the highway through Suchiate, Mexico, on July 21, 2024, during their journey north toward the U.S. border. Official have issued a warning amid very hot weather.
Edgar H. Clemente/AP
In 2022, 53 migrants were found dead in San Antonio after being stuffed in the back of a tractor-trailer without air conditioning. This is the deadliest recorded smuggling accident in the U.S. to date.
“Ruthless criminals endanger the lives of migrants who are often smuggled through unpredictable terrain,” HSI Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of San Antonio said. “Transnational criminal organizations treat migrants as commodities for financial gain, with little regard for their safety. HSI will continue to work aggressively to bring these criminals to justice.”
It comes as a group of 2,000 migrants are seeking to enter the U.S. through Mexico on foot. Several members of the group told AP that they hoped to reach the country ahead of the 2024 presidential election amid fears Trump will shut down the border if he wins.
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