By Angela Kocherga
KVUE News
Customs officers along one stretch of border are seeing a spike in the number of minors caught trying to smuggle drugs into the country. Most are U.S. citizens, students who use the small Columbus, New Mexico border crossing.
“We’re concerned that the criminal organizations are taking advantage of these kids, exploiting them.” said Robert Reza, Columbus Port Director.
Since the beginning of the year, Customs and Border Protection officers have caught six students trying to smuggle drugs into the country during the busy morning rush hour before classes.
“The majority of them are stuffing the narcotics in their backpack. Some are being taped to their bodies, concealed under their clothes too,” said Reza.
Drug traffickers take advantage of patters to try and blend in with regular border crossers. In this region, the strategy involves using students as couriers.
As many as 400 students a day use the pedestrian lanes at the Columbus port of entry on school days. The majority are U.S. citizens, but they have family ties in Mexico and live on both sides of the border.
On a recent rainy morning , mother kissed her small son goodbye as he approached Customs and Border Protection officers. The officers unzipped and searched backpacks and bags carried by the students. One small girl had a purse shaped like a stuffed dog that squeaked when the officer squeezed it.
On April 26, while searching backpacks, officers found 14.9 pounds of marijuana in a backpack carried by a 14-year-old student. On Mar. 26, they discovered 7.5 pounds of marijuana in a colorful floral backpack carried by a 16-year-old girl. And on Feb. 7, officers caught another 14-year-old boy carrying 2.2 pounds of marijuana hidden in his backpack between school supplies. In late January, CBP officers at the Columbus crossing found 482.6 pounds of marijuana hidden in the floor of a vehicle driven by a 16 year old.
All the teens were U.S. citizens. They were bringing the drugs across from the tiny Mexican town of Palomas which is located in a major drug trafficking corridor.
“I check my daughters backpacks daily,” said Viridiana Jacques as she walked with her two little girls.
Jacques is not taking any chances. She personally escorts her two young girls across the border and to the school bus.
After kissing them goodbye and watching them climb on board , Jacques said, “I’m glad the officers are thoroughly searching the students backpacks.”
She’s hopes that will discourage drug traffickers using students as smugglers.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
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Cartels use Students to Smuggle Drugs Through Busy Border Crossing
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Even though they are US citizens. Why are they allowed to enroll into schools if they live in Mexico???
ReplyDeleteThey probably give power of attorney over the kids to someone on US side, use their address but cross daily. It's fraud but commonly done.
DeleteShut up!!!!
DeleteI grew up in Deming just north of Columbus and since they are US citizens, they have every right to study here. Luna County approved this measure decades ago...way before the drug war. The border is a lot different than the rest of the US. Generations of US born people have lived on the Mexican side. About 15 years ago school buses used to cross and take them to Deming. Drugs then, just like now, crossed easily unfortunately.
DeleteOh and it's not fraud you moron. You know nothing of the border and its lifestyle. Don't forget that Mexico has the largest number of US citizens living in it and these account for those numbers. I guess according to you all Americans who live abroad are committing fraud. You ignorant fool
DeleteO well, young Mexicans learning the Family business,supporting Mexicos obcession with crime,drugs and taking advantage of the GRINGO,after all they are poor, brown and entitled, further there is no down side nothing will be done.
ReplyDeleteFirst off ,they are US citizens . secondly taking advantage of the gringo ,hah .
DeleteIt's their country as well you fool .
Brown !!!!!!!
You sickening me with your remarks
Bet you couldn't live without us
What u meant is supporting good ol USA's obsession with drugs..
DeleteYour welcome
Next do a story about WHY? student are allowed to live in mexico and school in the USA. Why are they not enrolled in mexico public schools?
ReplyDeleteHere we go.. We have an article about kids being used and exploited. Maybe even threatened and you dicks make it a racial matter. 99 percent of racist idiots are white uneducated trash. Nobody cares what you think. Get off the internet and go get a job asshole
ReplyDeleteAnd there are no racist mexicans? Gimmie a break, your an idiot!
DeleteI agree with the first poster..they live in Mexico but go to school here...Who's false address are they using. When is this country going to wake up and realize everyone is ripping us into spending all of our money...The world is like a manipulative whore extorting our money....Billions for Mexico's drug war, Billions here, billions there, yet we are taken advantage of.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm willing to bet these kids are not innocent...they are making poor choices...If they live in Mexico, they ought to go to school there.
U need to pull your head out of your anus...since when is this country being ripped off??..we do the ripping off..look around dummy..US is in everybodies business n making $$$ off every country n d world..
DeleteWow. Uneducated much? Study, study. If Ur a citizen here u can live wherever the fuck u want and have available public services as u please.
DeletePort of Andrade customs officers are the rudest and unprofessional agents I have come across in my many years of crossing the border. Not only do the dog handler act like a bully but my vehicle was damged during secondary inspection and all I was given was a paper to mail in the estimates of how much it would cost to fix their mistake.
ReplyDeletewhat the hell do u expect yes sir no sir a cappuccino sir u would b pissed off n rood to if u put up with what they do. stop being so sensitive
DeleteOh come on for the love of christ, get a grip with the news.....How many student runners does it take , to fill a bong in Gringolandia...? who cares how many toss pots get busted ,what a waste of time when you,ve got the most dedicated narco governed country bringing in the shit in containers every day, for forty years.... under the nose of the same agents , who waste their time pulling busts on backpackers.Is this Chapo,s new route or who the fuck ,do you say takes the credit ..? nON PLUSSED
ReplyDeleteWell why are us citizens live in foreign countries while still benefiting of social security benefits ? Lets not be hypocrites
ReplyDeleteExactly! !! You see most of these racist asshole are as you call them. They all come in here just to bash the country of Mexico and it's nationals. Like If all Mexicans are the way these monsters are. Stop this racist bull cause we all you are realy not concerned, well in a good way.
DeleteIts the law bitch deal with it
DeleteOnce again were talking about marijuana. Now these kids lives are fucked because of some grass? Legalize it and focus on the HARD drugs! If your against legalizing pot your not for solving the drug problem/violence!
ReplyDeletePeople always have to introduce a racial issue. The US belonged to indians until they were unjustly thrown out of their land and slaughtered, everybody forgets about that. "Stupid mongrel race" deserved it I suppose. Anyways......................
ReplyDeleteWhat makes these students any different from foreign exchange students from other countries?
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many children that live in America actually go to school in Mexico. I bet the answer is "ZERO". A total waste of my tax dollars. Stop educating mexicans and deport their asses. Way to much of their thieving, drug dealing scum on our streets already.
ReplyDeleteBackpacks? Really? Why don't you do an article on how the TONS of weed are transferred from the border to the east coast without detection.
ReplyDeleteTHAT would be an impressive article. Not backpacks of 13 year olds
Yep true story
DeleteOnly two types of people support the "drug war".
ReplyDeleteFools and pigs.
It's not being racist. As soon as someone pulls the race card just shows they have no valid argument. That being said, since they are US citizens they should live and go to school here. The obvious problem is since they live over there and go to school here is the only reason they are being used and exploited.
ReplyDelete@9:08 AM How much are you willing to bet, fool? We could live forever without you.
ReplyDelete@8:42 AM Tell somebody who cares.
@8:19 AM Are you the race police? Oh the poor children being exploited...Their parents are cheats and they teach their children to cheat. The parents don't live in the US because they are not citizens. You try to turn everything into a racial issue. Too bad it doesn't work - asshole.
@9:45 AM Think about it for 10 seconds stupid. The US actually does some things logically. They don't know about that in Mexico. Hard work is not noble, it's just necessary. You wouldn't know a hypocrite if one bit you on the nose. Go back to school.
Yes sir i proudly serve my community. Im a ft worth police officer. Im also a firefighter on my days off. In my line of work i see alot of insanity so i dont jump to conclusions before i look at all the facts. I am white a__hole.
Delete@ May 16, 2012 9:08 AM
ReplyDelete"First off ,they are US citizens."
The article says most are, not all.
@ May 16, 2012 8:19 AM
"99 percent of racist idiots are white uneducated trash."
There's some type of irony going on in your statement. As soon as I figure it out, I'll let you know.
@ May 16, 2012 7:44 AM
"Why are they not enrolled in mexico public schools?"
I hope they're at least learning English. That would be f'ed up if they come to school up here just to wind up in bilingual courses for years and years and then graduate without the ability to hold a basic conversation in English. I know several kids like that in El Paso that have been here for years, graduated high school here
and can't hold a conversation with me in English. I even know one guy from Juarez that graduated from UTEP and can't hold a basic conversation in English !!
The high school thing maybe but a UTEP grad thats bullshit, maybe you hear an accent and that pisses you off so you dont desypher it, alot of smart people are hard to understand if your a dumbfuck, welcome to tha melting pot deal with it
DeleteThe NWO wants to depopulate the earth, there is an agenda at hand, and we are all human beings godDamit! Why make it easy for em? Stop and think who the real enemy is? Each other? Our own kind? Really?
ReplyDeleteI may know why the U.S. Citizens are attending school in the U.S. They do so to educate themselves well enough to avoid becoming ignorant, racist Internet trolls. I dare the trolls to come out of the back bedroom of their mom's trailer and tell this U.S. Citizen that he can not attend school in the U.S. and live wherever he pleases. Get a grip crack head, you are probably mad because they speak more than one language too.
ReplyDelete"Well why are us citizens live in foreign countries while still benefiting of social security benefits ? Lets not be hypocrites"
ReplyDeletePeople living off social security have paid into the fund and have earned a return for their money, no matter where they live. They are not hypocrites.
Thank you for that comment. I am a US citizen and I live in Mexico and travel across the border everyday for work. I pay my taxes just as every other US citizen does and I feel I should be able to use my SS when I retire regardless of my location.
DeleteDrug laws are to blame.
ReplyDeleteFor all you ignorant people out there, not all of them know they are carrying drugs. Stop making assumptions because you make an ass out of yourself and your parents who failed in educating you. Have you ever heard of "mules". Yup that is what is also being seen as a trend. People crossing drugs without knowing it or their consent. Also some are threaten to death. So please stop writing comments that make no sense. Don't waste your time. Adios Amigos.
ReplyDeleteThe C.C. Winn Campus in Eagle Pass, TX. is a prime example of this article. The students run drugs through that school with the help of some of the teachers. Sad thing is that the students are minors so they get off with a slap on the wrist.
ReplyDelete"O well, young Mexicans learning the Family business,supporting Mexicos obcession with crime,drugs and taking advantage of the GRINGO,after all they are poor, brown and entitled, further there is no down side nothing will be done." Do us a favor and get your GED..
ReplyDeleteLol were just doing the same thing the white man did to the indians haha you white trash get picket on or what you probley did how does it feel to be the minoritys white people are always trying to copy a nother race was that spelled right for you honkys or do you need help reading haha
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff.The most racist remarks i see on here all the time,come from Mexicans."gringos""whiteboy""whiteman"and then you get the whining about how much they hate the US?
ReplyDeleteaj .
ReplyDeleteEy man,you sound hard,will you come and cut me head off?Cause your Mexican aren't you,and are supposed to be badass and hard.I,m white and i,m really scared of you,especially when you call me honky.Then again,why are you saying honky if your Mesican?You fuckin bitch made clown,not all whites are pricks,nah mean.You fuckin midget,i might fuck your little ass like the bitch you are.
Are you all dummies ? They come to the US schools sell the wacky backy.
ReplyDeleteLike an apprenticeship.
Cant we all just get along lets stop being racist cyber thugs ill tell you one thing we all wont discriminate against is that all might green dollar and we all bleed the same violence occurs within every race culture and or religion its just sad what goes on in other countrys the us is full of crime all types of crimes we can go back and fourth but need I say more peace out.
ReplyDeleteYou LOSERS saying USA belonged to INDIANS first..
ReplyDeleteHAHAHA.It belonged to NO ONE at first..
Those Indians cam fro Europe and ASIA over the Bearing Land Bridge over 10,000 years ago..
Learn some History you ignorant BUMS!
There is ignorance on both sides of the border a lot of stupid American racists and just as many ignorant Mexican racists...
The most racist remarks you see on these boards are routinely used by Mexicans against whites?
ReplyDeleteIts another double standard,saying racist remarks to anyone is not cool,but they routinely use the "gringo,whiteboy,whiteman,cracker,terms that do piss you off.The double standard happens when the slightest criticism of Mexico happens.This is the whole reason we are here discussing it,nothing to do with racism.Yet you are called racist for having an opinion?Am i talking the truth or am i lying?
TRUTH
Delete@ May 17, 2012 6:03 AM
ReplyDelete"The high school thing maybe but a UTEP grad thats bullshit, maybe you hear an accent and that pisses you off"
No dude. The guy could not speak English. He did have a heavy accent, but also would mangle English grammar and "buscar palabras" to a point that he was not understandable to an English speaker. He would also misunderstand people when they talked to him. Fluency is never 100% in languages, but you have to be able to communicate, no? He would always revert to Spanish if he knew you spoke Spanish.
Granted, he might be the exception for a 4 year college like UTEP, but I've also seen a lot, and I mean a lot, of Juarenses graduating from El Paso Community College unable to hold a basic conversation in English. I see it all the time when they come looking for work.
They'll say what's the problem because everyone here speaks Spanish anyway, but then you have them call the field office in Tulsa or Denver, and they can't communicate with other employees in English.
The schools and universities are failing if these are their end products.
Well not to worry soon it will be a bilingual country...like it or not.there are more brown babies being born than white...that's a fact. So stop the racist bullshit both sides. I like whitegirls, asian black my di k don't give a fuck he ain't racist. From Mexico u get oil and drugs...happy?
ReplyDeleteHeres a FACT for you. Educated people have less children, but you go ahead and keep having all them baby's dumb fuck!
DeleteHere's a fact you're all stupid racists.
ReplyDelete