(Washington Examiner) - A Border Patrol agent giving a tour of the El Paso, Texas region to a reporter said human smugglers list advertisements on radio stations in some Central American countries, telling people they will transport them to the United States.
"The word is definitely out. They have advertisements by radio. You listen to your radio on your way to work — on your way to the grocery store. And that country is advertising, 'If you want the American dream, we'll help you out — we'll teach you how to get in the United States,'" the agent told Maria Bartiromo for a Fox News interview that aired Sunday. The agent appeared on camera with Bartiromo, but was not identified.
A report from the Department of Homeland Security estimates unauthorized immigrants are spending nearly $10,000 to hire a human smuggler to travel from Central America in an attempt to enter the U.S. illegally.
Smugglers charged an average of $1,200 as down payment and up to $8,000 following arrival at the final destination, often the southern point of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, according to the Office of Immigration Statistics' September 2017 report "Efforts by DHS to Estimate Southwest Border Security between Ports of Entry."
That number has more than doubled from down payments of less than $100 and final costs of between $1,000 and $3,000 that were seen in the late 2000s. The usage of smugglers has also increased despite the significant cost uptick.
Washington Examiner
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