The images of children crossing into this country through the Mexican border are heartbreaking and the latest tragedy traceable to America’s futile war on drugs. The numbers astonish. According to The New York Times
More than 52,000 minors traveling without their parents have been caught crossing the southwest border illegally since October, including 9,000 in May alone, a record.
An excellent piece in Mother Jones reports that 74% of the migrant children and teens fleeing the violence and instability at home are from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras (the murder capital of the world). The rest are predominantly Mexicans who are returned back across the border, but we share no border with the Central American countries and the U.S. Border Patrol has been overwhelmed.
Many of the unaccompanied children say they are crossing to reunite with family members already in the U.S., or that their family back home had been murdered, kidnapped, or threatened by violent gangs. But why the recent surge? There are reports of rumors being spread that an unaccompanied minor is now allowed to remain in the United States.
Who could be behind this misinformation campaign? Who might indirectly benefit from complete chaos on the Mexican border creating a completely distracted Border Patrol? Probably the same criminal gangs who are benefiting directly. Says U.S. Border Patrol Deputy Chief Raul Ortiz,
Families and children have become a high-profit, low-risk business for Mexican narcotics cartel bosses who, Chief Ortiz said, have taken control of human smuggling across the Rio Grande.
But don’t worry, Los Zetas, et al. are merely diversifying. They are still in the drug smuggling business which just became much much easier. I wonder if the D.E.A. will make the connection this summer when American markets are flooded with cocaine and marijuana.