CBP Customs Agent HUMINT Interview: Week Oct 26- Nov 2

Mercedes, Tx -- This home-based interview consists of several questions and answers over drug-cartel violence and human smuggling. The approx. time of interview was 45 mins.

GSSL Student: What drugs are being smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico by drug cartels?
CBP Agent: The most common types of drugs smuggled in the U.S. are marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine.
GSSL Student: What impact would legalization/decriminalization of some drugs have on the cartels?
CBP Agent: If drugs were legalized, violence would decrease in Mexico. Cartels would stop fighting to control drugs routes in Mexico, because everyone would have the right to obtain drugs. Drug cartel profits will decrease because of high demands of drugs available at lower prices; negative impact on cartels.
GSSL Student: What tactics are cartel groups using to smuggle in humans/narcotics?
CBP Agent: When they try to smuggle in large amounts of narcotics, they use legal means of international trade to transport illicit narcotics from Mexico into the U.S. For example, they use legitimate Mexican truck companies to transport merchandise into the U.S; such as bringing in watermelons that are used to conceal narcotics. Narcotics are usually hidden in false compartments within truck beds or truck walls. For human smuggling, illegal aliens are utilizing legitimate documents to make entrée into the U.S. in forms of identity theft.
GSSL Student: What criminal activity reports or scenes did you witness throughout this week by cartel groups?
CBP Agent: This week, we seized 80 pounds of marijuana concealed inside the tires of an F150 truck. The drugs were detected by having the suspect referred for further inspection at the port of entrée due to the out of the ordinary nervousness of the driver. The k9 unit alerted suspicion towards the truck’s tires; therefore; agents seized the drugs and arrested the individual.
GSSL Student: Have you been in a situation where you encountered a drug cartel suspect, if so, how did you handle the situation?
CBP Agent: No, but if we were to encounter a drug cartel suspect we would conduct investigatory questioning towards the individual, while contacting FBI and ICE agents.
GSSL Student: What do you think about CBP corruption?
CBP Agent: Corruption is bad and not worth. CBP provides good pay and excellent retirement for agents. Integrity is the most important aspect of any federal agency; therefore, corruption would be considered morally wrong.
GSSL Student: Where can I find useful and accurate open source intelligence information to conduct my academia research?
CBP Agent: You can check el blog del narco, where local media reports on everyday incidents that occur alongside the U.S. and Mexican border.
GSSL Student: How much of a threat are drug cartels perceived as?
CBP Agent: They are seen as a very big threat because Mexican violence can spill into the U.S. at any time. Since people are being killed everyday, the violence can move into the U.S., causing fear amongst communities and citizens. Federal, state, and local officials will be challenged and forced to diminish cartel violence in the U.S.

On-the-field Human Smuggling Pictures of Drowned Individual

* Pictures of an unidentified man who drowned; victim of a human smuggling case. Provided by agent on-the-field, for academia research purposes only. Tuesday, November 9, 2010 8:13 PM

On-the-field Pictures of Narcotic Smuggling

*Pictures of marijuana loads taken on-the-field by agent, provided to GSSL student for academia research purposes only. Tuesday, November 9, 2010 8:13 PM

CBP Assistant Port Director HUMINT Interview: Week Oct 26- Nov 2

This home-based interview consists of several questions and answers over drug-cartel violence and human smuggling. The approx. time of interview was 58 mins.

GSSL Student: How much of a threat are drug cartels perceived as?
CBP Director: They are a minimal threat due to the fact that they are in the U.S. already. Some members live and reside in the U.S. Mexican national Cartel members realize that the U.S. is powerful; therefore, they won’t cross the border nor get close to it. There’s no chance that they would attack the U.S. and it’s agents on our borders, but we always take precaution.
GSSL Student: What is the most popular tactic used for human/narcotic smuggling alongside the RGV?
CBP Director: The tactics used to smuggle humans into the U.S. is by obtaining valid U.S. documents. They recruit minors, as well as people with same facial features as in the documents. Kids and teens are targeted by cartel members to become part of the Narco bussiness. CBP and agents have created a program called Operation Detour, aimed to keep kids out of narco bussiness on the entire southwest border. Another tactic is straw purchasing: having U.S. citizens buy arms/weapons for cartels to make crimes. They bribe and target citizens that have clean records, this creates a felony problem of Arms trafficking.
GSSL Student: Where can I find useful and accurate open source intelligence information to conduct my academia research?
CBP Director: Look into The monitor, borderbeat.net, borderlandbeat.com, cbp.gov, san Antonio express. Also, check out the blue campaign (warn people about cartels). Here is also a very useful book that CBP uses for reference, book called “Los Capos” Las narco-rutas de Mexico. By Ricardo Ravelo.

Additional Comments: CBP Director gave me some valuable information regarding a conference called "Texas' First Annual International Conference on Human Trafficking: Oct 6-7, 2010. Location: State Capitol", that she attended in person.

Border Patrol Agent HUMINT Interview: Week Oct 26- Nov 2

Edinburg, Tx -- This home-based interview consists of several questions and answers over drug-cartel violence and human smuggling. The approx. time of interview was 37 mins.

GSSL Student: What drugs are being smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico by drug cartels?
Agent: All type of drugs are being smuggled into the U.S., but the main ones are marijuana and cocaine. In every marijuana load, 1 out of every 8 dope gets caught and seized. We hardly ever catch cocaine, mainly because drug cartel organizations are too extremely organized; due to the fact that cocaine is expensive and demandful. Another reason why we don't seize too much is due to the fact that they have endless amount of money and members within their organizations. They also have better weapons and advanced technology, such as (night vision, infra red cameras), which makes them know where we are at most of the time.
GSSL Student: What impact would legalization/decriminalization of some drugs have on the cartels?
Agent: It would impact cartels in a negative way, since illicit drugs is their money-maker. But here in the U.S., drugs would never become legalized or decriminalized, but lets say it did happen, the solution to this factor would be that drug cartels would just sell it cheaper and still make their profit.
GSSL Student: What tactics are cartel groups using to smuggle in humans/narcotics?
Agent: Cartel members are now using high tactical acts of surveillance so they can know where we are at most of the time. Another recently used, and effective tactic is known as the Sacrificial Lamb. In this tactic, cartels send two non-members to get intentionally caught while distracting agents, while close by, cartel members pass illicit loads of narcotics and people. Another tactic that is now seen is cartel members recruiting immigrants to pass drugs/narcotics on their way into the U.S. We are still trying to figure out if immigrants have close ties with carterls, or if they are being forced into smuggling. Lastly, one veri important tactic that we are dealing with is cartels using little kids as coyotes, to smuggle drugs/humans. They are targeting kids because they are very aware of U.S. laws, where no kid cannot be tried and prosecuted; therefore, using kids as the perfect tactic.
GSSL Student: What criminal activity reports or scenes did you witness throughout this week by cartel groups?
Agent: This week I caught 7 people, illegally entering the U.S. by swimming across the river. Its a very common daily routine, seizing and catching illegals/narcotics.
GSSL: Have you been in a situation where you encountered a drug cartel suspect, if so, how did you handle the situation?
Agent: Yes, it happens a lot of times. If it involves drugs, we wear vests and equipt ourselves with guns to be safe just in case they attack us. One time, we spotted members trying to smuggle in drugs, but when they saw us they drove back towards and into the river leaving the load behind.
GSSL Student: What do you think about CBP corruption?
Agent: Its wrong and not worth it, but people give in easily. Its not worth it in the long run. CBP pays good and has a good system, so I dont understand why individuals would go corrupted. At least once a month, one person is caught and prosecuted for CBP corruption.
GSSL Student: Where can I find useful and accurate open source intelligence information to conduct my academia research?
Agent: Since, I'm an agent out on the field, the best advice that I can give you is to check and look up el blog del narco, youtube, and todo sobre el narcotraficante blog as well.
GSSL Student: How much of a threat are drug cartels perceived as?
Agent: Cartels are a big threat, as well as their violence because its close to border. They have endless money. They have tons of weapons smuggled south from the U.S. Different cartel members are also seen and live in the valley, such as zetas/golfo/la mana members. Alot of them are U.S. citizens and they live and operate here. They are used for counter intelligence against the U.S.

Democrats Show Little Enthusiasm for CIFTA Treaty on Gun Trafficking

Washington Post Writer -- President Obama visited Mexico and pledged to do more to keep U.S. guns out of the hands of murderous drug cartels, but the symbolically treaty known as CIFTA, has gone nowhere. Mexican authorities have begged the U.S. government to do more to curb the flow of high-powered rifles to drug traffickers. Both governments say that thousands of U.S. weapons have been sent illegally south of the border in recent years. CIFTA requires countries to criminalize the illegal manufacture and import or export of weapons.

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/21/AR2010102107266.html

U.S. and Mexico Struggle to Stop Flow of Weapons Across Border

Mexico City -- Efforts to stem the smuggling of weapons from the U.S. to Mexican drug cartels have been frustrated by bureaucratic infighting, a lack of training and the delayed delivery of a computer program to Mexico. In the past several years, Mexico has submitted information about more than 74,000 guns seized south of the border that the government suspects were smuggled from the U.S. Obama administration officials have responded with surge in spending to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Department of Homeland Security. Guns are sold legally in the U.S. and are easily obtainable in the worldwide black market in arms. More than 28,000 Mexicans have died in drug violence in the past four years. The U.S. announced three years ago that it would provide Mexico with its proprietary e Trace Internet-based system; the system is described as "a cornerstone" of its effort to fight arms trafficking to Mexico. Users enter basic data about a weapom, such as its make, model and serial number, and then receive vital intelligence from the ATF about where and when it was manufactured and sold, and to whom. The Mexican government often states that 90 percent of the weapons it confiscates come from the U.S. U.S. agents along the southwest border are seizing a small percentage of the weapons likely to be smuggled south. Border Patrol and ICE, captured 1,404 guns on their way to Mexico from March 2009 to March 2010.

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/06/AR2010100607018.html

Mexico Arrests Man Accused of Detonating Car Bomb

Mexico City -- Federal police arrested a gang member on Thursday who detonated the first successful car bomb by Mexican drug cartels, an attack that killed three people in the border city of Ciudad Juarez. Fernando Contreras used a cell phone to set off the bomb that killed a federal police officer and two civilians. The bomb exploded after police and paramedics arrived on a street corner to help a wounded man. More than 2,000 people have been killed this year in Ciudad Juarez, a city of 1.3 million across the border from El Paso, Texas.

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/21/AR2010102103006.html

Pot Bust affects Sinaloa Gang

Mexico City -- On Monday October 18, Mexican soldiers and police grabbed the U.S.-bound marijuana in pre-dawn raids in three neighborhoods when 11 people were arrested after a shootout which led authorities to the drugs. This is Mexico's largest-ever seizure of marijuana packaged for sale. The Sinaloa cartel is run by Mexico's most wanted fugitive, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, which is now moving drugs through the Tijuana corridor. Army officials said the drugs weighed 105 tons and had an estimated street value of 4.2 billion pesos, about $340 million. With the Mexican military changing its role and more actively going after organized crime groups, it could have affected that; the drugs were found stored in tractor trailers and houses wrapped in different colors and labeled with apparently coded phrases and pictures that included the cartoon character Homer Simpson. It is evident enough to suspect that cartel groups are using new tactics when smuggling narcotics.

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/19/AR2010101905920.html