(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) A new report has revealed that Mexican cartels are making billions every year smuggling migrants across the southern border.
The New York Times reported that the cartel’s earnings are roughly $13 billion.
According to Big League Politics, human smuggling revenue skyrocketed from $500 million in 2018, showing that cartels have been able to redouble their efforts in the last few years.
This does not include revenue from drug smuggling.
According to congressional testimony from the Acting Director of U.S. Immigrants and Customs Enforcement in 2021, cartels are using teams “specializing in logistics, transportation, surveillance, stash houses and accounting” to maximize profits.
Oklahoma Senator James Lankford raised this issue at the America First Agenda Summit, voicing concerns about the revenues of cartels regionally.
Lankford, a Republican, claimed that cartels based in Southern Texas are making $150 million every week through their human trafficking work. Lankford also pointed out that the Biden administration has largely turned a blind eye to the leaky border issue it created.
The administration did announce that they are now planning to continue limited construction of former President Donald Trump’s border wall, for which they had halted construction.
Vice President Kamala Harris, who was tasked with addressing the border crisis by President Biden, has all but abandoned the issue.
Several Republican politicians have been requesting Congress address the issue, including Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Tex., and Gov. Greg Abbot, R-Tex.
Social media users pointed out that a stronger handle on the issue right out of the gate could have prevented the surge in human trafficking and the suffering of American citizens as well as illegal immigrants:
Cartels are earning 26 times more money for human smuggling under Biden than they did under Trump.
And what’s Biden doing about it?
Nothing.
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) July 26, 2022
Obvious ramifications of our cruel open borders policies.
— Blue State Blues (@BlueStateBlues3) July 25, 2022
Cartels are profiting from Biden’s open border policies while Americans suffer.
Secure the border. https://t.co/6uxgSDDvYV
— Mike Rogers (@RepMikeRogersAL) July 27, 2022
