Science Fiction Meets Border Fact
And, a peek behind the scenes at CBP's Sex Assault Prevention Training
Good morning, friends,
There is something that’s been nagging at the back of the head for the last few days, ever since hearing about something that’s becoming more common practice for at least some of the smugglers getting caught in Kinney County.
A recently arrested female suspect in Kinney County has a tale about how her cartel recruiters handled her, that is right out of science fiction.
The woman from California was recently arrested and charged. During interrogation, she told investigators how she didn’t know who she was working for, where they were, or who she was going to pick up.
They apparently just communicated through an app, and had told her to drive toward San Antonio, and contact them later.
Once in the area, they sent her a “pin” which is a locational device within certain phone apps, and she drove to that location to make her pick up.
This is all very evocative of criminal behavior as depicted in the imaginary dystopian future in the HBO series Westworld.
In the show, Actor Aaron Paul is dispatched to various criminal jobs through something called the “Rico App,” which is meant to play off the modern “Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act,” used to dismantle portions of the Mafia and other organized crime. It also presumably is riffing off of the premise of such theoretically anonymous hookup apps like tinder and grinder.
Throughout the season, the app announces its use and presence through the audible ca-ching sound effect of a cash register, and visually with a scantily clad masked woman announcing that it’s time to make some money.
Within the show, it is perhaps meant to highlight how technology might possibly enable a decentralized and less visibly organized way of facilitating crime. Complete strangers are brought together through the app, put upon anonymous jobs that are conducted anonymously, and at the end of things everyone goes on their way, unable to rat each other out. The dehumanizing aspect of the process is also certainly no accident. These rebels and outlaws reduced to mere cogs in a machine, controlled by unknown and faceless figures, leveraged by their own greed and running through the narrow maze-walls of the society built around them.
As a prediction of the future, it wasn’t a huge leap— but it remains an eerie moment of science fiction predicting near-present fact as one reflects upon this most recent case involving the female smuggler from California.
It is very disturbing that this individual gave no thought at all to her personal safety let alone how she could be sure that she’d even get paid.
All it would take is one passenger with the right combination of desperation and dangerousness to ruin her whole life— either forcing her to run from police or perhaps sexually assaulting her in a vulnerable moment.
Many activists report on how frequently rape can be a component of human trafficking— among other things, citing interviews with border pharmacists who say it’s common to sell mass quantities of contraceptive pills and other treatments and supplies meant to prevent a pregnancy for women who are anticipating the worst while out on the trail.
During the Trump years, Doctors Without Borders estimated 1 in 4 women were subject to rape while attempting to illegally cross the border.
There are no real statistics reflecting occasions where smugglers have been raped, but then again, there’s never been large numbers of young women recruited online to drive smuggling loads before either.
That’s changed, as the cartels have leapt to exploit a regional shortage of jail space for women and minors, which has created the expectation that they can get away with it.
To some degree they do, as authorities release them with paperwork indicating that they face future charges at some later date.
Last week, we promised a roundup of other journalism that’s been in the area.
Here's a piece by the Center Square’s Bethany Blankley that may be familiar to readers— referencing at least one incident that we reported on previously, with a number of other details and buttressed by further incidents that occurred during her visit to Kinney County.
On a ride along with an officer on Wednesday, The Center Square observed a possible scout being pulled over from Austin. Scouts are paid by cartel operatives to drive in areas along the border to identify where law enforcement officers are and report back their locations to smugglers so they can avoid them when bringing a load of people north, officers explained.
In another instance, one teenager and one young man in two separate vehicles from Houston were driving around downtown Brackettville. When the teenager was pulled over, upon inspection, the officer discovered that in his possession were xeroxed copies of photo identifications of Honduras nationals – likely individuals waiting to be picked up to be smuggled north, the officer said.
By Wednesday night, deputies in another pursuit caught an alleged smuggler who was believed to have picked up those who’d absconded from a previous bailout, all single Mexican national men in the U.S. illegally, authorities said.
“If it wasn’t for Gov. Greg Abbott, Operation Lone Star, caffeine and patriotism, we wouldn’t get it done,” Coe said.
—Reporter Bethany Blankley, The Center Square
Here’s a link to a recent report by the FOX Affiliate out of Houston— making note of the fact that a lot of Houston residents have been getting busted in the area in connection with human trafficking. They ask the Sheriff why— he does a pretty good job of fielding the question, we think, given the fact that the potential reasons are all over the map.
In San Antonio, a Grand Jury decided to “no-bill” a police officer who shot and killed a 13-year-old who had been previously arrested in Kinney County and charged with smuggling.
Officers say 13-year-old Andre Hernandez was driving a stolen car and rammed it into a police cruiser last Summer in San Antonio.
An officer at the scene opened fire, acting to preserve the life of another officer who he believed was going to be run over.
In a statement, Bexar County’s District Attorney, Joe Gonzales said his office would respect the Grand Jury’s decision but added: “nothing can repair the pain and loss that AJ Hernandez’s family has endured. A young boy was tragically lost on that day, and we know that no mother should ever have to bury their child.”
Hernandez was arrested back in April of 2022 in Kinney County, with 7 charges of human smuggling and evading arrest with a vehicle.
It’s been a while, but we believe Hernandez was using another stolen vehicle while in Kinney County and was in the area without the knowledge of his mother.
With all of this going on— some readers might be curious what’s up with Border Patrol and Homeland Security.
The answer is a complicated one, of course.
But we submit for your review— the following screen shot depicting what seems to be at least one major priority for the bosses of agents who are being pulled off of the line.
There you have it friends. The feds are taking pronouns and names and genders very seriously. According to the header in the upper left of the screen, the training is being presented as part of a module on preventing sexual abuse in CBP holding facilities.
For what it’s worth, we personally prefer to avoid making other people feel small or bad and will make our best attempts to avoid doing so. It just makes sense. But that’s not the same as enshrining it in law or public policy.
And it seems to us that CBP and DHS have much bigger fish to fry right now and shouldn’t be wasting 2 seconds of training on pronouns while the organization threatens to meltdown under the pressure of the current crisis.
But here we are. In the grand scheme of things, perhaps, this is just the tip of the iceberg of things that aren’t making much sense where CBP is concerned.
Today’s President’s Day. A holiday for many government workers around the State and Country.
We thought it might be a good moment to revisit one of our favorite topics that we occasionally veer off to, away from the Border Crisis— and that is the silly side of George Washington.
It’s no accident that many are unaware of the first President’s good humor.
Contemporary historians were determined to present a curated vision of the “father of the country.”
And Washington himself was known to edit his past correspondence, knowing future generations would be reading it.
Even so, many examples of Washington’s wit and nature still exist.
One thing many don’t grasp, is that by the standards of his day, Washington was physically something of an action-hero, blessed with height and athleticism at a level that was uncommon for the time.
As remembered by American artist Charles Willson Peale, a group of visitors to Mount Vernon in 1773 were “pitching the bar,” a game that involved seeing who could throw an iron bar the farthest across the lawn.
…suddenly the colonel appeared among us. He requested to be shown the pegs that marked the bounds of our efforts; then, smiling, and without putting off his coat, held out his hand for the missile. No sooner … did the heavy iron bar feel the grasp of his mighty hand than it lost the power of gravitation, and whizzed through the air, striking the ground far, very far, beyond our utmost limits. We were indeed amazed, as we stood around, all stripped to the buff, with shirt sleeves rolled up, and having thought ourselves very clever fellows, while the colonel, on retiring, pleasantly observed, ‘When you beat my pitch, young gentlemen, I’ll try again.’3
—Washington as an athlete in his middle years, as reported at Mt. Vernon.org
If you’d like to read more about Washington’s sense of humor, check out this newsletter we published last 4th of July, highlighting his exploits on the dance floor and gambling table, along with the little-known story of American Hero Joseph Beyrle.
Enjoy the holiday if you’re off. If you’re not— make it a good day anyway and consider cooking something out of the ordinary or doing some other thing that might serve to make the day different from the norm. If you don’t, who will? The holiday becomes just another day if you don’t.
As always, the newsletter is an independent work product, and should not be mistaken for an official communication by Kinney County Officials.
Any errors, mistakes, or other misdeeds are entirely our own.
Have a great one and keep it high and tight. We’ll see you again soon.
Thank you for another great article and tidbits.