Border officials warning of dangerous trend of teens being used as smugglers

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Officials with the Border Patrol and Department of Homeland Security say they're seeing large amounts of teenagers in the borderland being enticed by criminal organizations to become smugglers.

According to Fidel Baca of the Border's Patrol's El Paso sector, this fiscal year El Paso is leading the nation with 265,000 arrests.

Baca said criminal enterprises are targeting school-aged children using social media. A lot of the kids are just starting to drive or have their own vehicle.

Baca said they're typically told to pick up either undocumented immigrants or drugs for a fee. They're then told to transport them to another location, sometimes in New Mexico.

He said a lot of the time the kids don't realize what they're doing until it's too late.

Baca said if it's too good to be true, it most likely is. He said schools can help by teaching children about the dangers of smuggling, which can lead to jail time or worse.

He said parents should also pay attention, especially if they're starting to see their kids wearing new clothes, and it's not coming from them. Another warning sign is if they're carrying large amounts of cash.