How Brazen Smugglers Are Fueling Record Numbers At The Southern Border
How Brazen Smugglers Are Fueling Record Numbers At The Southern Border
Immigrant families walk to a U.S. Border Patrol processing station after they crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico on Thursday in Roma, Texas. John Moore/Getty Images hide caption
Immigrant families walk to a U.S. Border Patrol processing station after they crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico on Thursday in Roma, Texas.
John Moore/Getty ImagesA record 172,000 migrants were apprehended at the southern border in March. Those numbers are fueled, in part, by smuggling organizations that exploit desperate migrants, most of them from central America. NPR's John Burnett and KTEP's Angela Kocherga report on their tactics.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas tells NPR about a new multi-agency effort to crack down on smugglers.
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This episode was produced by Brent Baughman, Brianna Scott and Lee Hale. It was edited by Sami Yenigun with help from Wynne Davis, Cortney Dorning, Laura Smitherman, and John Burnett. Our executive producer is Cara Tallo.