Mexican cartels equip migrants with survival kits

TEMPE, Ariz. (NewsNation) — In the past, a majority of migrants attempting to evade arrest at the southern border wore dark clothing. But now, U.S. Border Patrol claims they are seeing migrants dressed in camouflage, and it’s coming from a “kit.”

Including in the kit: camo pants, a shirt and booties that go over shoes to cover their tracks so border agents can’t detect them.

Vice President and spokesperson of the National Border Patrol Council Art Del Cueto explained how it works. Del Cueto said when the migrant makes a deal with the smuggling organization, they pay them a certain fee. Covered under the fee is a camouflage, almost survival-style backpack.

“It’s got everything that they need inside, from head to toe,” Del Cueto said.

Inside the backpack, along with the camouflage clothing items listed above, a certain amount of food, water and a set of “magic pills,” Del Cueto said. He explained that the pills are a type of pain pill to keep migrants moving. However, those pills can be very dangerous in the summer months because they can cause dehydration.

“But you know, the smuggler doesn’t care. They know that if they give up these pills, they will continue to walk there, contributing to travel, regardless of how bad they feel,” he said. “So it’s an entire survival kit that they’re handing to these people. So they can come into the country illegally. It’s very organized.”

U.S. Department of Homeland Security sources reported at least 1.4 million people have successfully evaded law enforcement over the last two years — with an unprecedented number of people trying not to get caught.

Law enforcement said they feel like they are fighting a losing battle, and the evolving techniques these so-called “runners” are using are making it even more difficult.

On Wednesday, Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson Lt. Chris Olivarez posted on Twitter that the Texas DPS brush team stopped a man who said he was a “guide” for a group of undocumented individuals.

The man, Luis Fernando Molina Sarmiento, 31, was from Honduras and the DPS team said he was using night vision goggles to guide the group through a private ranch in Kinney County.

Also this week, DPS troopers tracked and located a group wearing carpet booties to cover their foot tracks.

Del Cueto also said he has caught a group trying to evade where the guy in the back of the group walked with a bag of sand and would pour the sand over the foot tracks so they couldn’t be detected.

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has touted added technology along the border, but Del Cueto told NewsNation that if they don’t have agents in the field, there is no one to apprehend the people who are seen using the technology. Del Cueto said all the technology in the world won’t make a difference until agents get out of processing and back into the field.

So, why are these migrants running?

Some migrants who are trying to evade may qualify for immediate expulsion under Title 42 — which of course is set to end May 11 — or they may be from Mexico and turned back. Another reason is that some migrants may have a criminal history and know they won’t be allowed in if they self-surrender like the majority of migrants are doing.

A source with the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol told NewsNation that the agency considers 1% of people to be criminals, or having the intent to do harm. When looking at the reported “gotaways” for the last two years, 1.4 million people have successfully evaded law enforcement. That means CBP knowingly turned a blind eye to more than 500 people every month with some sort of criminal record or nefarious intent.

NewsNation writer Devan Markham contributed to this report.