The surge of migrants crossing the southern border of the United States has taken center stage in the ongoing presidential election discourse. However, what often remains overlooked is the perilous journey these migrants undertake across Mexico, fraught with dangers exacerbated by the involvement of drug cartels.
San Luis Rio Colorado, a typical Mexican border community, finds itself at the heart of this narrative. Here, migrants like Eduardo find respite in shelters as they recuperate from harrowing experiences endured in Mexico.
Eduardo’s story echoes that of countless others fleeing violence and seeking refuge in the US. Threatened by organized crime in his native Ecuador, he embarked on a treacherous journey to seek asylum in the US.
While debates on immigration policies intensify, the role of Mexico’s deadly drug trafficking organizations in exacerbating the risks faced by migrants remains largely obscured. Eduardo’s journey, from flying to Mexico City to boarding a bus to the US border, unwittingly led him through territories controlled by violent cartels.
The bus ride turned into a nightmare when armed men demanded money from migrants, underscoring the omnipresent threat of extortion and kidnapping along the route. San Luis Rio Colorado, known for its migrant kidnappings, witnessed a dramatic rescue operation where over 100 captives from various nationalities were freed from captivity.
Extortion, kidnapping, and human smuggling have become lucrative ventures for cartels, with migrants falling victim to their predatory tactics. Even law enforcement agencies, complicit or coerced, contribute to the exploitation of migrants, as witnessed by Eduardo at numerous police checkpoints.
Further exacerbating the perilous journey, migrants risk being abducted or worse if they fail to pay exorbitant sums to smugglers or cartels. Recent discoveries of migrant bodies, shot execution-style, underscore the brutality migrants face.
Dr. Victor Clark Alfaro highlights the cartels’ diversification into human smuggling, branding them ‘narco-coyotes’ for their dual role in trafficking both people and drugs.
Eduardo’s eventual legal entry into the US marked the culmination of his arduous journey, driven by faith and the tragic loss of a friend back in Ecuador.
As the US presidential election rages on, the plight of migrants navigating Mexico’s perilous terrain serves as a sobering reminder of the multifaceted challenges inherent in the immigration debate.
