Inside Texas DPS’ war on human, drug smuggling

(NewsNation) — With migrant encounters continuing to trend downward at the border and President Donald Trump pressuring Mexico to crack down on illegal immigration, the southern border isn’t seeing thousands of migrants arriving like it did just a year ago.

But that doesn’t mean the crisis is over. 

There are still thousands of migrants in Mexico stuck in limbo after Trump ended the CBP One Program. Now, smugglers in Mexico are capitalizing on the desperation of migrants and charging up to $18,000 to be smuggled across the Rio Grande.

NewsNation rode along with Texas Department of Public Safety state troopers in the Rio Grande Valley, an area seeing an uptick in smuggling with migrants now trying to enter the U.S. undetected while smugglers look to make a sizeable profit.

Within NewsNation’s first hour with state Trooper Guadalupe Casarez, he received an alert from a camera showing individuals entering the U.S. illegally and attempting to hide in the brush.

Border Patrol agents and Texas Army National Guard troops also arrived on the scene. NewsNation followed Casarez as he and Border Patrol agents cleared the brush and tracked the individuals’ footsteps, eventually leading him to two Mexican nationals lying on the ground, attempting to hide from authorities.

The men were handcuffed and said they planned to head to San Antonio. Instead, they could now face charges for smuggling. Border Patrol checked the two migrants closely, looking for tattoos or other signs that could link them to a gang or criminal group.

Smugglers in Mexico are now moving in smaller groups, looking for areas not patrolled by state troopers, the National Guard or Border Patrol, who work together to deter smugglers.

In the Rio Grande Valley, state troopers and Border Patrol are also working to stop drugs from entering the U.S.

Last week, the two agencies intercepted 187 pounds of narcotics and arrested three Mexican nationals in Cameron County. The three men now face prosecution.

Texas Army National Guard troops have arrested and processed migrants who attempted to enter near Roma, Texas, a location that has become a hot spot for migrant and drug smuggling in recent weeks.

The goal for authorities at the border is to stay one step ahead of smugglers in Mexico, who are now seeking to capitalize on the desperation of migrants still in Mexico looking for a way to enter the U.S.