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Recently, US Customs and Border Protection officials announced that smugglers have been using counterfeit FedEx vehicles in an attempt to bring 26 illegal migrants into El Paso, Texas. The Border Patrol’s Santa Teresa Station Anti-Smuggling Unit received a tip about the plan.
The agents and state troopers stopped two vehicles that were fitted-out to look difficult to distinguish from standard white FedEx vans. After the arrests of four smugglers involved in the scheme, 26 migrants, from Mexico and Guatemala, were apprehended.
The FedEx facility in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, which is near the border, is well-known as a pick-up location for smugglers and migrants, according to Border Patrol insiders who spoke to The Post. Smugglers had decoratively covered one of the ‘FedEx’ vans to look like the genuine article before using it to move illegals across the border.
Coffey, the El Paso Border Patrol, has spoken out against the danger posed to the migrants by the smuggling scheme.
She highlighted recent incidents in which people have died as a result of being transported in poorly equipped, unventilated trucks while trying to cross the border. She added that the resurgence of the FedEx technique is probably due to smugglers feeling more confident since the end of Title 42.
In addition to using FedEx impersonators, cartel-linked smugglers have reportedly begun creating and promoting their services on YouTube and TikTok, touting their skill at smuggling people across the border undetected.
There are concerns among Border Patrol agents that after the end of Title 42, the previous strategy will become more widespread.
In May, US Border Patrol acknowledged that 530,000 ‘gotaways,’ illegal immigrants who had entered the country but had not been apprehended, had been recorded since the previous October. Raoul Ortiz, the border chief, announced on June 12 that an estimated 2,493 gotaways had entered the country in the prior three days alone.
The number of people attempting to enter the country unlawfully has risen since May 11, when the administration made it more difficult for migrants to be officially allowed in the US, following the end of the pandemic-related Title 42 measure.
This new trend of FedEx impersonators and smugglers’ self-promotion is disturbing, to say the least. Smugglers are more brazen in their activities, which is placing migrants at risk.
It is one of the most compelling reasons why President Biden must act quickly to restore border security and protect the lives and rights of both American citizens and immigrants who cross our borders.
The use of fake FedEx vans – which can lead to people smugglers using well-known brands for criminal purposes – is the latest iteration of the challenges facing border patrol agents in their fight against illegal entry and trafficking. We need better surveillance techniques and more personnel, and we need them now.
The abuse of the identity of legitimate American businesses must come to an end. Smugglers must not be permitted to abuse American institutions, such as FedEx, for their illegal activities.
That is why we must give US Customs and Border Protection the resources necessary to end these operations and bring the people behind it to justice.
The most significant danger of the latest smuggling tactic – besides safety concerns – is the fact that people who have entered our country unlawfully could get away from the notice of administration authorities.
We need tight border controls to prevent this from happening in our nation.
The Biden administration has made it clear that they want to promote diversity, opportunity, and inclusivity at the border.
These new trends and issues in smuggling are alarming and must be dealt with immediately to protect the human values of every individual, regardless of where they come from, who crosses the border. No one is above the law, and we need to remind everyone to adhere to the boundaries that are in place.
Every American should be vexed by these stories of smuggling, trafficking, and unsanctioned crossings.
However, conservatives undoubtedly have greater feelings of concern about what it implies for the security and sovereignty of our country. We require some conservative and sensible steps at the border to restore order and safety.
Smugglers will do all possible to find ways through the border and circumvent the authorities. To address these concerns, we must act decisively to secure our border, mitigate the dangerous flow of illegal interstate smuggling of people and goods, and keep Americans safe.
We must ensure that every person entering the United States does so vetted and regulated by our security apparatuses.
The cost of weak borders is evident in the lack of control that law enforcement faces in keeping prohibited drugs and people from entering the country.
Without proper border control, medical, terrorism, and drug trafficking problems will continue to worsen, putting an immense burden on Americans’ health care and communities and critical peace and security concerns. That is the reason we need to ensure that we maintain our border security at its maximum level.
We should work together to ensure that our border security initiatives and strategies have one purpose – to ensure the safety and well-being of all people involved, regardless of their background and cultures.
As the United States pursues this objective, it must do so constructively, cooperatively and in a non-partisan manner. Ensuring our border’s integrity is an urgent task that affects everyone in this nation.
America’s southwest borders remain influential to national security. We must enhance our exchanges with immigration and law enforcement officials in our neighboring countries and strengthen the protection of our people, particularly those working on the front line to secure our border.
We must strive to create a legally perpetuating framework that still acknowledges the prominence of our southwest border with regard to national security.
The smugglers, whether they use counterfeit FedEx vans or other ploys, are violating the law and threatening our security. The Biden administration must take this issue seriously as a threat to national security, human rights, and the rule of law.
It must do its utmost to take action that will stop these smugglers so that they can no longer take advantage of innocent people. We must protect our borders for the good of the nation.