(NewsNation) — Along the southern border, Mexican cartels have developed systems for getting migrants into the U.S. undetected.
Earlier this week, NewsNation shared exclusive video of smugglers using ladders and ropes to send people over the border wall. It’s a lucrative business for the cartels, and Border Patrol agents say they can’t stop it.
Cartels are taking home billions of dollars a year smuggling migrants into the U.S. It’s all about money for cartel members, who charge every single person crossing the border, orchestrating efforts to evade law enforcement.
New photos from the Rio Grande Valley in Texas show armed cartel members carrying what appear to be AR-15-style rifles and some are wearing body armor.
The Texas Department of Public Safety captured the images, which were flagged by border agents who have access to the cameras. Specialized teams equivalent to SWAT teams were sent to search for the men after the incident, which happened on Aug. 5.
While agents searched for the men, they were unable to locate them. The three individuals who got away are likely to still be somewhere in the U.S.
Other images from Texas DPS show armed guides ushering people across the Rio Grande in the Eagle Pass area, showing how the dangers for migrants and law enforcement are increasing.
All this comes as Customs and Border Protection officers at the Nogales port of entry seized 10 AK-47-style rifles and 20 .30 round magazines. The port director reported the serial numbers were removed from those guns, which were being illegally exported to Mexico, likely to support cartel violence.
NewsNation witnessed the assembly-line operation unfold on the Mexican side, where cartel members operated in broad daylight. They don’t fear consequences because border agents can only take action if they are directly threatened.
So cartel members don’t threaten agents, instead sending person after person over the border wall.
Lawmakers responded to NewsNation’s footage and questions about Mexico’s responsibility with concern. Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Az., suggested a return to policies implemented by former President Donald Trump, including a remain-in-Mexico policy that sent migrants back across the border.
Ciscomani also said Mexico needs to do more to secure the border from the other side, such as using the country’s national guard to prevent cartel operations.
“That deflected a lot of the activity before it even reached the border. These two things combined had a real impact in those both of those are things that Mexico can do,” Ciscomani said.
Ciscomani also noted that the House has actually created a new subcommittee to specifically focus on combatting cartels.