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Federal agents in charge of monitoring drug smuggling along the U.S.-Mexico border say more and more teenagers are getting involved in the smuggling trade – and may even be at risk for recruitment.
According to federal agents, many suspected teen smugglers have been caught this year at the San Ysidro border trying to cross into the U.S. with drugs secretly taped to their bodies.
Agents say both American and Mexican children as young as 12 years old are being recruited by cartels as drug mules. And, these days, marijuana is no longer the drug of choice.
“It shocks me and saddens me that kids are getting involved. It doesn’t shock me that cartels will use whatever method they need,” said Jose Garcia, a deputy special agent for ICE Homeland Security Investigations.
Garcia says his agents have been focusing on teen drug smugglers since 2009.
So far, Garcia says cartels have recruited kids outside schools, arcades and malls from the South Bay to Poway, and as far east as Mountain Empire.
Social media has also been used to entice potential teen smugglers.
“We’ve even had one recruited by someone they know on Facebook,” said Garcia.
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The special agent says teens can carry as much as six kilos of drugs hidden under their clothing. The money they get if they make it across the border is minimal compared to the risk they take.
“The lowest (payment) is $50 and the highest we’ve heard is about $500. But the average is somewhere between $75 and $300,” explained Garcia.
The cartel recruiters tell the kids that because they are minors, they won’t get in serious trouble.
However, Garcia says that selling point is misleading.
“The truth is if they are arrested with narcotics, especially hard narcotics, they're going to have two felonies on their record,” said Garcia.
Last year, a record 190 teens – ages 18 and under – were caught smuggling drugs along the San Diego County-Mexico border, according to federal investigators.
So far this year, the number is down to 128, but Garcia says there are still disturbing new trends.
While marijuana was once the main drug being smuggled by teenagers, now it’s meth.
Also, recruiters used to target mainly teenage boys, but now they’re targeting young girls.
"If you look at the way that some females are dressed, it's hard to detect, they're wearing skinny jeans and tight tops and they still manage to hide it on them so the untrained eye wouldn't pick up on it," explained Garcia.
To help combat the teen drug smuggling trend, agents have formed a special outreach program that travels from school to school, warning kids about the dangers of drug smuggling.
Agents also warn parents to be alert and aware of their teens’ cash flow. Agents say that if a child suddenly has a lot of money and parent don’t know where it came from, it could be a red flag.
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Agreed-nothing new. Been doing on for ever around the world. But I believe we go easy on it too. The only good drug dealer is a dead drug dealer. Bang !
(David N.'s wife here.) @baberan1 #28. "The only good drug dealer is a dead drug dealer. Bang! Take it one step further and eliminate all the users, and that would put them quickly out of business! No druggies, no need for drugs!!!!! Simple as that.
I wonder what the Cartel would look like if pot was legal in USA? It's legal in Amsterdam and you don't hear of all the things the people fear in USA of legalization. We can really get a hold of this issue by legalizing it, and closing the border. It appears quite simple. I don't understand the need for a "war on drugs" that has been going on since before I was born - and I am no spring chicken. I think it is a waste of taxpayer money.
The problem with lies, is druggies believe them, and pass them on to other druggies.
Marijuana is NOT legal in Amsterdam. As a matter of fact, no country in the world has legalized pot.
And why is this a surprise?
Go down to the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. Almost as corrupt as Mexico. If ever we get a leader that will secure our borders and reinforce & back up our border patrol down there, the crime from Mexico would stagnate greatly. As fast as the lead criminals are locked up, there is a judge for sale that will release them. But of course only in a politically correct manner.
Yes Sir, a determined government could end this border problem in 2 years.
Once again facebook being used to lure teens to bad places and facebook just keeps growing and growing
Why do these stupid media people think this is "news" ? What a bunch of idiots.
Waste of time. Bye bye.
Weed was originally illegal to controll mexican immigrants. Now it is funding them. So much for the war on drugs. Wake up America, this is 2012. Why are we living in the past (because past politicians are still in office with mindsets from the 50's).
Beavis to Butthead; "We should get a bunch of stuff and smuggle it out in our butts." Butthead to Beavis; "Why would we smuggle it out in our butts?" Beavis; "uh, I don't know.....I saw it on MSNBC Lockup Raw". Butthead; "You're a dumb@ss Beavis." See what you folks started?
Here it is 2012 and they just figured it out??????????????? Must be all the College educted IDIOTS that sare in charge.
Enough with the so-called "war on drugs." Legalize them all, clean them, tax them, regulate them. This puts the criminal cartels out of business, raises revenues, AND cuts down on overdoses/deaths and the fact that our country spends way too much house criminals.
The same for cigarettes, right?
Cigarettes are so over taxed, it's much cheaper to buy them on the black market. It will be no different with pot.
obama welcomed them to come here. thank you dems. you WILL pay for your vote.
Both parties are guilty of wanting to give illegals a free ride here in order to get their votes. When they do get a good foothold in this country they'll be finished with both parties and their own will sart taking over this country. currently the dems are leading the charge on this but the repubs will soon start pandering to them. Lovely how hispanics have all ready been calling on Obama to PAY UP for their votes!!!!!
Nothing "NEWS" worthy here.... Inside Babies diapers, juvenile mules, anally inserted or surgically implanted, packed in cars, friggin' submarines? Nothing surprises me anymore.....
Under 18 year olds are allowed to cross without consent or supervision?
Research it Ross. You really need to get a clue!!!!
once they ban fast food. guns. cars. knives. and everything else that's dangerous then they will be able to stop people from doing drugs.
Punish the countries of origin and let them stop it before it leaves. When they are burdened with the cost, watch how quick their armies support the law. Planes, Tanks, Artillery, and Ships; something Drug cartels cannot acquire.
now lets see people use the excuse "legalizing weed will end the drug war with the cartels" which was a dumb excuse to make weed legal anyway.. weed users will say anything to support their habit
LMAO...What rock have these two Journlists been sleeping under, or was it the Editor's choice of a headline....From Babies to stuff up Grandma's yahoo, they've been doing it since the Border started a search policy....It is NOT new....what a waste of electronic space...geea.
Just another reason to end this stupid, expensive and innefective war on drugs.
So this is how the parentless tide of south american young people gain amnesty and the American dream.
kids or whoever plain and simple just "DONT DO IT" and rule is simple "NO DRUGS PERIOD".....let it sink in big time .....Straighten up WORLD.....much more later....
Hoxie, you are so right, move to this town I live in 16years ago and starting about 10 years ago the illegals started coming in droves. One of the companies in town put up a sign at the border in spanish telling them to come to our town. Today they are 52 percent of the town, have taken over the school and the factories, get food stamps, welfare and housing and the police do nothing. They bring the drugs to our town but guess what they never catch them but they do catch the Americans who are dumb enough buy from them. Now Obama has given them more power and they throw it in our faces. As one illegal told me the Mexicans call us the land of the free and the home of the stupid, we are stupid and they get everything free. You know what they are right.
That's so unfortunately true. Too bad our own government is soooo willing to give this country away to mostly uneducated, non-english speaking, drug dealing criminals.
Joyce the democrats just want you to be absorbed or supplanted by their new voters that's all, no harm intended, just ask NBC they'll tell you it's all good.
Does this old news really surprise anyone after knowing that some Mexican parents deliberately disfigure/dismember their children so that they can put them out on the streets begging in order to have some type of income? The people are real life two legged animals.
Just shoot em' all!
Hell with the teens transporting drugs across the border. Do the real story on how much our own government is letting/bringing in across the border. Better yet a story on the war against terror and why, if there really were a threat are terrorist smart enough to hijack planes and fly them into buildings yet dumb enough to not exploit a border that illegal aliens and tons of drugs come across weekly!!
Just what we need more future democratic voters, bringing in more democratic dope. And yet the democrats still refuse to seal our borders,..I wonder why.
Burtzee, you are just another brainwashed sheeple if you think repubs are making any attempt to squash illegal immigration. The dems want them here for a voting base and the repubs want them here for cheap labor to help the corporations drag us all into wage slavery at what few jobs are left, and that is the complete and sad truth. Neither party gives a hoot n hell about America OR it's citizens.
John McCain has tried to do something about the border repeatedly. He is constantly proposing a wall or unscalable fence along the entire border with more security. I doubt the minutemen are democrats.