The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has recently uncovered a human smuggling operation based in Chaparral, New Mexico. Allegedly, the smuggling operation is allowing people from countries in the Middle East, specifically Iraq, to illegally enter the United States (US) from Mexico.
In another recent human smuggling case, a group of Iraqis were arrested in Peru as they attempted to enter the US on board a flight to Los Angeles, California. The two developments highlight a growing risk of potential terrorists attempting to infiltrate US borders.
Crossing the Rio Grande
Although US Border Patrol officials have not reported any such smuggling rings located in New Mexico, the FBI findings suggest that illegal aliens from the Middle East have used the smuggling ring in Chaparral, New Mexico for at least one year. According to the FBI intelligence report, after many Middle Eastern individuals integrated into the Mexican culture and learned Spanish, they would pay individuals to smuggle them into the US.
The smugglers then directed the individuals to meet at a designated house along the Mexican side of the border. The individuals would then be sent across the Rio Grande River. Once across the river, according to the FBI report, unidentified smugglers would direct and transport the people to train stations in El Paso, Texas or Belen, New Mexico.
According to the FBI report, this smuggling ring normally smuggled Mexicans into the US. However, the group decided to smuggle Middle East individuals instead, as it proved to be a more profitable practice, charging $20,000 to $25,000 per individual.
Additional Border Breaches
In addition to the case in New Mexico, authorities broke up a smuggling ring in Lima, Peru last month. According to officials, 10 Iraqis were arrested as they attempted to board a flight bound for Los Angeles, California. The group of Iraqis attempted to use stolen Dutch and German passports. The fact that the passports appeared to be altered and no individual in the group could speak Dutch or German lead Peruvian officials to arrest the group. In the past few years, other notable cases of smuggling Middle Eastern individuals into the US from Central and South America include:
• In 2005, the Honduran Director for Immigration Affairs was detained for participating in a human smuggling operation. He allegedly collaborated with Chinese crime syndicates in order to smuggle Chinese, Afghan, and Pakistani citizens into the US via Honduras.
• In 2005, a human smuggling ring that specialized in smuggling Middle East individuals into the US was uncovered after a Jordanian citizen was arrested in Peru. The discovery led to the arrests of three Iraqi born citizens in Chicago, Illinois.
• In 2002, a smuggling group operated by Salim Boughader Mucharrafille in Tijuana, Mexico was broken up after reportedly smuggling a total of 200 Lebanese compatriots into the US. Some are suspected sympathizers of the terrorist organization, Hezbollah. (source)
Looking Ahead
As we previously reported in the June 6, 2007 Total Intelligence Report, since 2003, the US government only allowed a limited amount of Iraqi refugees admittance into the US for security reasons. Although DHS plans to allow 7,000 Iraqi refugees into the country by the end of the year (previous report), the discovery of additional border breaches by potential terrorists is concerning.
Until the US, Central and South American governments collaborate and efficiently identify and eradicate future smuggling rings, terrorist infiltration across US borders remains a serious threat for US homeland security.
