Why is the caravan going all the way to Tijuana to reach the U.S. border? One reason is “El Chapo.”
Why is the caravan
going all the way to Tijuana to reach the U.S. border? One reason is “El
Chapo.”
Last week, after
caravan members recuperated for several days at a Mexico City sports complex,
they held a vote. The group opted to travel all the way to Tijuana, Mexico’s
largest border city, instead of taking a much shorter route toward the Rio
Grande Valley of South Texas.
So why would they
decide to go more than twice as far to reach the U.S. border?
The simplest
explanation is that the activist group guiding the caravan, Pueblo Sin
Fronteras (People Without Borders), has a strong support network in California,
a “sanctuary” state where local officials and courts are more sympathetic to
migrants.
But there’s another,
idiosyncratic reason the caravan is going all the way to Tijuana: its
reputation as a safer route, where migrants are less vulnerable to the
kidnapping gangs and extortionists that prey on Central Americans.
This has to do, in no
small part, with the legacy of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the indicted Mexican
drug kingpin whose federal grand jury trial began this week in New York.
Over nearly three
decades, Guzmán built the Sinaloa drug cartel into the world’s wealthiest and
most powerful trafficking organization. And despite his capture, the Sinaloa
group continues to dominate the most lucrative drug smuggling routes along
Mexico’s Pacific coast and into California, including the grand jewel of the
North American narcotics trade, the San Ysidro port of entry. Which is also the
destination for the migrant caravan.
Connecting Tijuana to
California, San Ysidro is the world’s busiest border crossing, receiving nearly
100,000 northbound vehicles and pedestrians a day. It is also the single largest
gateway for high-value narcotics into the United States, accounting for nearly
half of the hard drugs-- heroin, cocaine, fentanyl and methamphetamine-- seized
along the entire border, smuggled mostly in fake vehicle compartments.
Under Guzmán, Sinaloa waged
sanguinary warfare against its rivals, eventually winning control of the entire
western portion of the U.S.-Mexico border. But Sinaloa became so dominant in
the North American drug trade that the criminal groups along Mexico’s eastern
border (opposite Texas) developed a different criminal portfolio, especially
starting in the late 2000s, in order to compete.
The two most powerful
groups there, the Gulf Cartel and its now-diminished but still-dreaded rival,
Los Zetas, were overshadowed and outsmarted by Guzmán in the drug trade, so
they looked to diversify into other sources of revenue. Central American
migration to the United States was increasing, and these groups saw tens of
thousands of Hondurans, Guatemala and Salvadorans passing through areas under
their control to reach the Rio Grande. Many were riding on freight trains and
buses. It wasn’t hard to find them.
In 2010, Los Zetas
kidnapped and massacred 72 migrants on a remote ranch an hour south of the U.S.
border, an act of horrifying depravity with a ruthless business objective. The
group was determined to extract profits from every migrant and smuggling guide
passing through its territory. Anyone who didn’t pay risked kidnapping, torture
and death. And those who didn’t pay enough could be abducted and held for
ransom until relatives living in the United States handed over their life
savings. They knew that almost everyone heading north had a relative or loved
one financing the journey.
Their reign of terror
has taken a terrible toll. Mexican human rights officials have discovered more
than 1,300 mass graves since 2007, and an untold number of Central American
migrants have gone missing in the Gulf Coast Mexican states of Veracruz and
Tamaulipas along the route to south Texas.
This sordid state of
affairs never fully developed along Mexico’s Pacific Coast and the areas under
the control of Guzmán Sinaloa cartel. The Sinaloans would sometimes abduct
young men and impress them into service as drug mules, fitting them with
marijuana-stuffed backpacks for a grueling trek through the Arizona desert. But
some Central Americans viewed this as a mutually beneficial arrangement. A free
guided trip into the United States was the price for carrying Sinaloan brick
weed.
You would also hear
from many Mexicans that Guzmán was a drug kingpin who lived by a code, like the
Sicilian mob bosses or the Omar character in “The Wire.” A tunnel-digging,
meth-making, cocaine-shipping mastermind, and a killer, but not a monster who
kidnaps and butchers humble Central American migrants. This appeared to
explain, more than anything, why Central Americans were routinely murdered and
disappeared in one part of Mexico but not (or far less) in another.
So when it came time
last week for caravan members to pick between a shorter route to Texas or a
much longer one to Tijuana, they chose the latter.
One leads to the
migrant version of Mordor. The other is merely dangerous.
Even the Central Americans know that El Señor Chapo Guzman did not kill innocents.
ReplyDeleteGente Nueva Special Forces are the best killers and most highly trained cartel special ops soldiers but we always follow one rule "never kill innocents ".One Combat Applications Group and a Special Air Service commando lieutenant were very impressed with the almost non existant collateral damage of my team missions.
El Sr M1 El Ondeado always followed this rule when he was hunting the Beltranes. El Sr R5 never ever killed a civilian.El Sr Bravo Aponte taught my people very well only go after the enemy never the innocent ones.Thats a rule that comes from our leadership El Sr Chapo El Sr Mayo El Sr Azul
SICARIO 006
Get real....Chapo killed anyone who got in his way or ordered their demise, be they innocents or criminals. He is a mass murdering piece of sewage who deserves his concrete cell at ADX in a few months.
DeleteSacario 006, no weapons allowed in courtroom. And no autograph s of Chapo.
Delete4:04; Damn when the truth hurts you just slap em with a little fantasy! Grow up joven
DeleteLeave el Sr. Out of this mess already has enough problems
ReplyDeleteMaybe you can petition the court and the judge will let you give chapo a hug!
DeleteTime to amass troops an BP there too to stop the invasion. We need skilled labor and bright minds, not the poor and those seeking entitlements.
ReplyDeleteMexico cant even protect their own borders, this honduran posse just rolled right thru like putting a knife to butter. The government should protect their people by putting up a refried fence...
DeleteActually 3:12 the English, French, and Spanish came here and took the lands from the native people. We then rose up against the crown of England because of taxation and the desire to be independent from someone thousands of miles away. After the revolutionary war we expanded to the west. Yes we slaughtered the Indians but so did everyone else. We purchased land owned by the French and Spanish and went to war against the Mexicans for the south west border.
Delete9:14 Refreshing to see a comment that referenced reality - thanks! However remember that when America was taking up arms against its government, many of America’s most “respectable” names were the largest drug dealers in the world at the time. No telling how many Chinese were killed with Astor’s opium and many other actions of the day who still have their names on buildings at all of the Ivy League schools.
DeleteChapo su fama sigue creciondo en los anales de la historia. Como a ayudado a la gente lo quieren con mucho esmero. Y en el ranchito de Badiraguato eres un hombre de agricultura.
ReplyDeleteIn Hope's of getting more votes...migrants or son of migrants dont vote...trust me I know
ReplyDelete“Illegal Immigrants chose Tijuana”
ReplyDeleteSo this article illustrates the compassion Chapo displays towards migrants?
ReplyDeleteWhere by contracting services for some to illegally traffic narcotics into the US for safe passage?
Chapo is far from a saint portrayed by those. Rather, a persistent criminal who will and has taken advantage of all opportunities without regrets.
The only difference between Chapo and those other cartels is how the money is generated from migrants.
I see the reasoning behind the caravan traveling further due to political state differences pertaining immigration policies.
In the end they are all criminals.
E42
I'm sure whether played a part in this decision
ReplyDeleteThey are going to Tijuana because that’s where California is, the Democrats control it.
ReplyDeleteAlso every state is helping bus the illegals to Tijuana because they want to get them out of their state Quickly.
Now it’s Tijuana’s problem and the citizens don’t like it
12:39 PM they aren't "illegals" They are asylees fleeing violence, coming legally.
DeleteYou do not speak for the citizenry of Mexico.
They are illegals they entered the country illegal.
DeleteThey declined to stay in Mexico, they aren’t refugees. They are country shopping
5:30 "asyless" my ass they invadors for the way they entered Mexico n that same way they will try to cross the USA/MEXICO border demanding for things they didnt have the guts to demand for in their countries..
DeleteImmigrants mentioned here are NOT illegal. U.S. law says that people seeking asylum can jump the border fence if need be and ask for asylum.
DeleteLearn the law.
You live in a fairy tale to believe those who clandestinely cross the border will present themselves to immigration officials and present their claims of asylum. Once over the line, these illegals will purchase forged documents and attempt to make those around them believe that they are here legally. Those who point to a recent ruling by a federal judge don't point out that it was a liberal judge from San Francisco, and we know what kinda of place that city has fallen to- homelessness at record rates, drug addicts, and human feces. We need order, not chaos.
DeleteAnybody knows what is going on in magdalena? They killed the plaza boss two days ago. Shootings last night.
ReplyDeleteWe all knew this was gonna happen (the caravans headed to Califas).. I hate to lay it all off on the Blue team but they've enabled this unregulated influx of people by minimizing the scope of the problem. They either vanish or deflect when the discussion shifts to border security.
ReplyDeleteTough situation for those migrants from the caravan.
ReplyDeleteLeaving a moral position of differences among many.
In truth; Anyone walking ths earth has no true refuge due to political issues. Leaving many without possibilities and hope. Only Rather, to succumb to the suffering of life.
Making one to really think; Are we prisoners of our own world? Most countries have immigration laws which can be favorable for some, while not for others.
Just something to ponder on.
Just know, even with all its faults and problems that we deal with,if you were born in the USA, you won the lottery of life. Why else would people die trying to get here or send there children unaccompanied to get here?
DeleteU make a valid point of view.
Delete@8:46
E42
Chivis El H past away today here is the link by Zeta
ReplyDelete-the guy who knows nothing
http://zetatijuana.com/2018/11/el-capo-sinaloense-hector-beltran-leyva-el-h-fallece-tras-sufrir-un-infarto-en-el-altiplano/?fbclid=IwAR2fE8J7oTgtXQ61dPorrPN5khlE6FGYhmxeNQ1gkvB3jZtgOeOcVcfkpFo
thank you looks like i was working on a post same time you sent it in! but thank you very much for making sure I knew. what a tragic family.
DeleteSame as Arellano Felix. Ramon-dead. Franscico-dead. Benjamin- locked up for another 10 years. Eduardo-gets out anytime now. Tigrillo- Gets out anytime now for spilling the beans on his brothers. It seems like all the drug cartels bearing the last name have worse luck than other cartels.
DeleteIf they are so frightened then why do they wave that Honduran flag with such pride? If they love the place, they should stay and fight for change instead of heading off to another country and live off its tax payers. I don't care what anyone says, those people don't speak English and I highly doubt they have marketable skills.
ReplyDeleteTrue
DeleteLitle do they know that mencho has that plaza with ctng/cjng
ReplyDeleteYa think because California is a sanctuary state?! Think that's why they have a strong support Network?? Lol, obviously they're taking advantage of California Democrats
ReplyDelete