International governments pitch ‘border solutions’ at Border Security Expo
As the number of undocumented immigrants entering the US continues to rise, border solutions are being discussed this week in San Antonio’s Border Security Expo.
Like its international attendees, working on the southwest border requires cooperation with countries to our south.
” There are daily communications in regards to what we’re witnessing at our border, what’s being organized down south in Central America. Without that cooperation we would have a tremendous vulnerability in that we would be in essence blind to what’s approaching the border, ” said Roy Villareal , Border Patrol Tucson Sector chief.
Along with intelligence on migrant movement there are also investigations into the vast criminal networks that prey on people and smuggle drugs.
” Their operations are international – both in the US, Central America, and Mexico and elsewhere. The only way to truly dismantle those organizations is by working with our foreign counterparts, ” said Timothy Tubbs from Homeland Security Investigations in Laredo.
American officers and agents don’t have jurisdiction in other parts of the world, instead they collaborate with locals in this endless task against international criminal organizations.
“We do that by having HSI special agents located in those countries, in our United States Embassies, so that we can coordinate sharing of information, coordinate the investigations and law enforcement operations,” Tubbs said.
This goes beyond the war on drugs. Cartels are diversified businesses, much of their money coming in from extortion and human smuggling.
They are multi billion dollar businesses that are only growing.
” The aspect of smuggling is not a harmless crime. There are victims to this. You’ve got a vulnerable population that is hoping for a better way of life, you have people who are exploited, caught into the system, trafficked, ” Villareal said.
As the work continues so does the crime. Thousands of migrants, victims of those same criminals, arrive each day.
CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said today they will work with Mexico to stem the flow of migrants north.
