All articles tagged with #migrant smuggling
Interior and security ministers from the Five Eyes alliance met in London to discuss border security, migrant-smuggling gangs, and other issues like child abuse and opioids, with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem participating.
An undercover BBC journalist spent a year infiltrating a violent migrant-smuggling gang in northern France, posing as a migrant to gather evidence and expose their operations, which led to an arrest in Birmingham. The report details the risks, methods, and encounters during the covert operation, highlighting the dangerous world of human trafficking.
Two men were sentenced to life in prison for their roles in a tragic smuggling operation that led to the deaths of 53 migrants in a Texas tractor-trailer in 2022, highlighting the deadly risks migrants face and the ongoing issues of human trafficking at the US border.
A member of the Texas Army National Guard was arrested after leading police on a high-speed chase near the U.S. border with Mexico, attempting to transport migrants. This is the second incident in less than a year involving National Guard members in Texas being caught trying to smuggle migrants. The arrested individual, Savion Amari Donovan Johnson, was described as a National Guard soldier, but it was unclear whether he was part of the border security program known as Operation Lone Star.
High-speed police chases have been on the rise near the Texas border, leaving locals concerned for their safety. While many police departments across the US have adopted policies to curtail dangerous pursuits, Texas state police and sheriff's offices have retained broad discretion to give chase, even for minor offenses. The number of chases in Texas has increased significantly since the implementation of Operation Lone Star, a border security program initiated by Governor Greg Abbott. These pursuits have resulted in numerous deaths and injuries, including bystanders, and have raised questions about the effectiveness and safety of such tactics.
Eight people were killed in Texas after a car suspected of carrying smuggled migrants attempted to flee from police and crashed into oncoming traffic. The driver of the car, a 21-year-old from Houston, collided with another vehicle while trying to pass a semi-truck in a no passing zone. Both cars caught fire, resulting in the deaths of all passengers. This incident marks the second deadliest crash involving migrants in recent years. The U.S. Customs and Border Protections updated their vehicle pursuit policy in January to prioritize safety, but car chases have still led to numerous migrant deaths.
Seven people were killed in a head-on collision on U.S. Highway 57 near Batesville, Texas, involving a suspected migrant-smuggling vehicle that was allegedly evading authorities. The driver of the Honda passenger car, suspected of human smuggling, passed an 18-wheeler in a no-passing zone and crashed into a Chevy SUV, causing it to burst into flames. The driver and passenger of the SUV, as well as five passengers in the Honda, were killed. The investigation is ongoing.
A suspected migrant smuggler and seven others, including two innocent Americans, were killed in a collision on a highway in Batesville, Texas. The suspected smuggler's car, which had been evading arrest, collided with an SUV in a no-passing zone, causing the vehicles to burst into flames. The deceased included individuals from Honduras, and the investigation is ongoing. This incident highlights the ongoing border crisis and the dangers associated with migrant smuggling. The number of migrants heading north in search of a better life has been increasing, leading to tragic consequences for both migrants and American citizens.
Christian Martinez, a 29-year-old man from Palestine, Texas, pleaded guilty to multiple counts related to a deadly migrant smuggling incident in San Antonio that resulted in the deaths of 53 people. Martinez admitted to conspiracy and transportation charges, along with placing lives in jeopardy. He and the driver of the tractor-trailer involved in the incident were initially charged in July 2022, and four other co-defendants were charged later. Martinez faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and will be sentenced on January 4, 2024.
German police conducted raids across the country, resulting in the discovery of over 100 Syrian citizens suspected of being smuggled into Germany. The investigation involved more than 350 federal police officers executing arrest warrants and seizing evidence, including cell phones, sim cards, gold worth around 220,000 euros, and cash amounting to 16,000 euros. The suspects, who were already living in Germany as asylum-seekers, allegedly received payments of up to 7,000 euros from the migrants they smuggled. The raids highlight the exploitation of migrants by criminal networks seeking to profit from their desperate circumstances.
The European Union (EU) has pledged to crack down on migrant smuggling during a visit to the Italian island of Lampedusa. The plan includes providing funds to Tunisia to block departures, accelerating asylum requests in Italy, and establishing humanitarian corridors in countries of origin to discourage illegal routes. The EU also called on member nations to accept voluntary transfers and dispatched experts to help manage the high number of migrants arriving in Italy. The Italian government plans to activate a system for repatriating migrants who are not eligible to stay in Europe. The crisis is challenging unity within the EU and the far-right-led Italian government. French far-right leader Marine Le Pen is using the Lampedusa crisis to push her anti-immigration agenda ahead of EU elections next year.
Europol and Interpol have announced the arrest of 62 individuals involved in an intercontinental criminal network that smuggled migrants from Cuba to the European Union. The network targeted vulnerable Cubans, charging them 9,000 euros for their journey to Europe and providing false documentation. It is estimated that around 5,000 Cuban nationals were successfully smuggled into the EU. In addition to the arrests, authorities seized 18 properties, 33 vehicles, 144 bank accounts, and significant amounts of cash in various currencies.
Four more arrests have been made in connection with the death of 53 migrants found in a sweltering tractor trailer in San Antonio, Texas, one year ago. The four Mexican nationals were arraigned on Tuesday and charged with conspiracy to transport migrants illegally resulting in death, among other charges. Two others connected to the incident were arrested last year and remain in federal custody without bond. The defendants face a maximum of life in prison if convicted. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said human smugglers who put people's lives at risk for profit and break the law cannot hide for long.
A smuggler dropped a 4-year-old boy from the top of a 30-foot US-Mexican border wall near San Ysidro in San Diego. The smuggler immediately hopped down to aid the child and join a second, older child who was the first to make it over the wall. The group was quickly apprehended by Customs and Border Patrol agents, who rushed to aid the injured boy but were interrupted by heavy gunfire. The child is okay, but researchers have found sharp increases in deaths and severe injuries associated with trying to overcome the San Diego wall since it was heightened during the Trump administration.