It is a difficult assertion to make, that U.S. taxpayers, U.S. military personnel, and well -meaning U.S. citizens are being used by the cartels, and converted into cunningly deployed portions of the cartel smuggling networks.
How? Greed. But not necessarily in the way you might think.
Realize that everyone helped across the border by the cartels will eventually have to make good on their debts to the cartel. These are ruthless and sophisticated smuggling organizations, that know exactly who they are moving, and how they are going to collect. Many of those seeking asylum, and released to enter the U.S. will frequently wind up being aided by a non-governmental organization, or NGO.
They go by many names, like “Horizons,” “Endeavors,” “Refugee Services of Texas,” and others. They typically furnish illegal aliens with food, clothing, and transportation in the form of bus and airline tickets to other areas of the country where they say they have family waiting.
A percentage of those aided by these organizations will reconnect with the cartels’ representatives when they get to their destinations, and begin paying off whatever debts the cartel says they owe. This could include employment in the drug trade, prostitution, or other sorts of racketeering.
These NGO’s are paid with funds from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Tax money. Some are also drawing funds from catholic and protestant charities. At Laughlin Air Force Base, in Del Rio, illegal aliens are being flown out of the area with the help of U.S. military personnel.
Think about this for a few minutes, and appreciate the cunning. Why waste cartel money on fuel and food for illegal alien human cargo? Let the U.S. Government and well-meaning charities foot the bill instead. Presto, you now have a money saving component to your smuggling architecture, that has the added benefit of locking down the U.S. Border Patrol with paperwork and red tape that facilitates the smuggling of other contraband that authorities are now unable to do anything about, because they’re helping women and children to their U.S. destinations.
What is to be done? These non-governmental organizations largely believe they are only doing what is right, what is Christian and good. They are also reaping monetary rewards from Homeland Security for each individual they aid. The U.S. Military personnel at Laughlin are only following what seem to be lawful orders issued at the behest of the local U.S. Congressman, who is only trying to help his constituents in Val Verde County who were overwhelmed at the destitute and homeless illegal aliens forced to loiter and panhandle at the local Wal-Mart and convenience stores.
It is a perfect storm of human misery, and cynical capitalization on charitable tendencies by the cartels. Imagine it: Portions of the U.S. Government are now de-facto part of the same networks enslaving immigrant women, and flooding U.S. drug markets with Chinese-made fentanyl. It doesn’t matter if it is happening without intent. Intent does not matter to some dumb kid that fires up a needle full of stepped-on smack and OD’s because fentanyl is so much more dangerous than heroin. Intent does not matter to some 15 year old farm girl that can pass for 17 and represents a lifetime of earning potential to the cartels as a prostitute.
Critics opposing a border wall may be right. A wall is just another obstacle. It will also take detangling this complicated machine that is turning well-meaning Christians into facilitators of human smuggling and misery, before we can truly address this border crisis.