Homeland Security Warns Of ‘Transnational Criminal Organizations’ Exploiting Massive Migrant Caravan

On Sunday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen issued a statement about the massive caravan of Honduran migrants that have entered Mexico en route to the United States. The caravan of 2,000 or so migrants, warned Nielsen, might be exploited by transnational criminal organizations, particularly drug cartels that run human trafficking operations at the border.

“While we closely monitor the caravan crisis, we must remain mindful of the transnational criminal organizations and other criminals that prey on the vulnerabilities of those undertaking the irregular migration journey,” said Nielsen in a press release Sunday.

“We shall work with our partners in the region to investigate and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law all who seek to encourage and profit from irregular migration,” she continued.

The secretary also expressed solidarity with the central American governments that are attempting to handle the situation. “We fully support the efforts of Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico, as they seek to address this critical situation and ensure a safer and more secure region,” she said.

The Washington Times‘ Stephen Dinan notes that the once-5,400-member caravan, which started a week ago in Honduras, diminished significantly upon reaching the Guatemala-Mexico border, with many giving up upon encountering tighter border enforcement by Mexican authorities, though many migrants reportedly broke through security or paid traffickers for passage. Around 2,000 are still moving north.

“Warnings of a get-tough policy from U.S. officials have done little to deter the migrants, who for years have seen relatives and neighbors easily jump the border to enter the U.S. with little consequence,” writes Dinan. “The ease of entering is a selling point for the cartels, who control the drug and human smuggling routes into the U.S. and require payment of a ‘mafia fee’ just to cross the U.S.-Mexico boundary line.”

That fee tends to cost migrants between $1,000 to $2,000, according to court records, but the cartels usually manage to extort much more than that with “coyote” guide fees and costs for housing and drivers.

President Trump has also been warning about bad actors exploiting the caravan, tweeting Monday morning that “criminals and unknown Middle Easterners are mixed in.”

Related: President Trump Calls Migrant Caravan A ‘National Emergency,’ Blames Democrats