Pubdate: Sun, 13 Feb 2011
Source: Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ)
Copyright: 2011 The Arizona Republic
Contact: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/sendaletter.html
Website: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/24
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/Border+Patrol
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/opinion.htm (Opinion)

U.S. YOUTHS USED AS SMUGGLERS

Mexico's drug-cartel violence lurks like a storm south of the border. 
The question of whether it will cross the border is often trumped by 
those asking when it will arrive.

But the skeletal arm of criminal syndicates already stretches into 
Arizona. Distribution systems for drugs and undocumented people are 
well-established. For years now, those in the employ of the cartels 
have been recruiting young people for smuggling, the Border Patrol says.

Sometimes, it happens through street gangs. Or in high school. Or at the mall.

The pitch? Easy money. The job? Just go here, pick up something and 
take it somewhere else. Use Mom's car. She'll never know. The payoff 
could be $500. Or more.

The consequence could be getting arrested, watching Mom's car 
confiscated and winding up with a criminal record. That's if you are 
lucky, Border Patrol Agent David Jimarez says. Those who lose a 
shipment to bandits may be tortured and killed as an example to 
others. What's more, those who step inside smuggling operations soon 
learn it is hard to get away from this criminal entanglement.

That $500 is not easy money.

This is the message of a Border Patrol outreach program called 
Operation Detour. It was created in Texas in 2009 in response to 
increasing incidents of American kids being lured into smuggling 
activities. It was brought to Arizona last May.

As part of these presentations to high schools, kids are often asked 
if they or anybody they know has been involved in smuggling. When 
Jimarez asked that question, "More than half the room raised their hand."

This effort to educate kids about the real dangers of smuggling 
should go beyond the teens whose lives are directly at risk. It 
should chill the hearts of those who think recreational drug use is a 
victimless crime. Think again. The criminal syndicates that feed 
those "recreational" habits are dangerous and corrosive to children, 
families, schools and communities.

During a news conference in Tucson last week, Alan Bersin, director 
of Customs and Border Protection, announced a campaign to close the 
smuggling corridor that runs through our state. He predicted the 
cartels will "make a stand here to try to preserve their smuggling routes."

Bersin talked about the success of a joint operation among the Border 
Patrol, Mexican federal police and about 60 U.S. law-enforcement 
agencies. They began coordinated training in 2009. Last month, 
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano cited statistical 
evidence that "significant progress" has been made to secure the border.

As Bersin noted, success that impacts the cartels' profits will be 
met with opposition. Criminal syndicates grew rich because of U.S. 
demand for drugs and cheap labor.

As the Border Patrol's Operation Detour demonstrates, the 
consequences of cartel influence reaches beyond the border. So does 
the need to educate the public about the dangers. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake