Central American Migrants Paid Human Smugglers $2.3B in 2017

A RAND Corporation report released Monday reveals that Central American migrants paid human smugglers more than $2 billion in 2017 to get them into the United States.

RAND Corporation’s Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center reveals Central American migrants paid human smugglers, including transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) up to about $2.5 billion in smuggling fees and “taxes” in 2017.

During Fiscal Year 2017, Border Patrol agents apprehended migrants crossing the border in near-record low levels. Agents apprehended only 303,916 migrants during that fiscal year, including 75,622 Family Unit Aliens (FMUA) and 41,435 Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC), according to the FY2017 Southwest Border Migration Report from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

“Cartels + criminal organizations run a profit-driven enterprise trafficking human beings across our border,” U.S. Representative Chip Roy (R-TX) tweeted in response to the RAND report.

More