Early in June, a binational human smuggling network was caught transporting migrants who crossed the U.S-Mexico border using fake FedEx vans.
Fake van, fake "cargo"
On June 9, agents from the Texas DPS followed what they thought was a regular FedEx van. The agents spotted the vehicle near the border in El Paso, Texas.
But after the agents stopped to search the vehicle, they discovered 12 migrants hiding inside the fake cargo van.
On the same day at a different location, officers discovered another vehicle designed to look like a fake FedEx van. According to a press release by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the second van was carrying another group of 14 migrants.
The CBP press release also revealed that most of the migrants caught in the two fake FedEx vans were from Guatemala and Mexico.
The authorities reported that four men were arrested on human smuggling charges. The group included two U.S. citizens and two Mexican nationals.
The fake vans were painted white with FedEx logos all over them to make them look like real delivery trucks. The drivers were also wearing FedEx’s black and purple uniforms, said the authorities.
The investigation revealed that the vans were not used to cross the border, but to transport the migrants who were already on U.S. soil past Border Patrol checkpoints to escape being searched.
Days before the two vans were spotted, agents received an anonymous tip about the human smuggling operation. The information came from a source close to the investigation who asked to remain anonymous.
The anonymous source said the human smugglers were using FedEx as a disguise because the company has a location close to the actual U.S.-Mexico border.
The smugglers assumed that agents wouldn’t be suspicious because real FedEx vans often drive near the area.
Authorities are still trying to find out if the vans were prepared on the U.S. side of the border or in Mexico. Agents are also investigating to see if there are more fake FedEx vehicles being used as part of the migrant smuggling scheme. (Related: DeSantis: Florida National Guard “proud to help” Texas counterparts in addressing Biden-inflicted BORDER CRISIS.)
This isn’t the first time that human smugglers have used unusual methods to transport migrants across the U.S-Mexico border and around the United States.
Back in 2022, a massive human smuggling ring operated by active U.S. Marines was discovered by federal authorities.
Smuggling schemes endanger the lives of migrants
According to Sean Coffey, a Border Patrol agent, the fake FedEx van tactic isn’t new, but it hasn’t been used in recent years.
In an interview, Coffey explained that while agents "haven’t seen a FedEx vehicle in some time," they see other types of vehicles used, like construction vehicles.
He added that smugglers would often put stickers on the car that they are using to make it look like a company vehicle.
Coffey also warned that the fake FedEx van smuggling scheme endangers the lives of the migrants, citing recent tragedies where dozens of people have died in the back of poorly ventilated trucks trying to sneak people across the border.
"The insides of some of these vehicles can become extremely hot, especially with the large amount of people [they] are trying to put inside of them," explained Coffey.
He added that the renewed FedEx tactic could be the result of smugglers feeling more brazen as they try to give migrants a solution to entering the U.S. after the end of Title 42.
Unfortunately, data suggests that smugglers are succeeding. Back in May, U.S. Border Patrol reported that a staggering 530,000 "gotaways," or illegal immigrants who haven't been caught, have entered the country since last October.
On June 12, Raoul Ortiz, border chief, said an estimated 2,493 gotaways had made their way into the U.S. in the past three days.
The number of people attempting to enter America illegally has skyrocketed since May 11, when the administration made it harder for migrants to be officially admitted to the country following the end of the pandemic-era Title 42 measure.
According to internal Border Patrol data, at least 853 migrants have died trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally in the past 12 months. This makes the fiscal year 2022 the most dangerous year for migrants recorded by the U.S. government.
Migration policy analysts say that the figure, which is greater than the 546 migrant deaths recorded by Border Patrol in fiscal year 2021, could be an undercount due to data collection limits.
An April report by a federal watchdog revealed that Border Patrol did not collect and record "complete data on migrant deaths."
Visit BorderSecurity.news for more articles about the ongoing immigration crisis in the United States.
Watch the video below to know more about ongoing activity at the Southern border.
This video is from The Mel K Show channel on Brighteon.com.
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