|
Mexican gangs using kids to smuggle drugs to
US
Monday January 09, 2012 01:41:54 PM,
EFE
|
|
Mexico
City: Children and teenagers between the ages of 11 and 17 are being
recruited by Mexico's drug cartels to smuggle narcotics into the
US and also work as spies, according to the US Drug Enforcement
Administration and the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The children are of Mexican people, other Latin Americans as well
as Americans, meaning from both sides of the border.
The number of children from the US being recruited by the cartels
has risen since the second half of 2011 because they enjoy the
benefit of citizenship, the US departments said.
One of the places where recruiting has increased in the past few
months is San Diego, California, which is near the Mexican border
city of Tijuana.
The number of arrests of children has risen in southern
California, with charges ranging from drug trafficking to
extortion, kidnapping and piracy.
Some of the children were already working for gangs in the US and
had to pass tests to show the Mexican cartels that they were
reliable.
Different cartels pay the children varying amounts of money for
the crimes they commit, the US departments said.
Los Zetas, considered Mexico's most violent criminal organisation,
and the rival Gulf cartel pay an average of $500 to smuggle drugs,
$1,000 to guard a kidnapping victim for a month and $1,500 to
provide information on the movement of US authorities.
American children arrested by the US departments told
investigators the money was an important motivator and they knew
they would serve at most 15 months in a juvenile facility if
caught.
Mexican children, for their part, are usually deported and
continue working for the cartels.
|
|
|
|
Home |
Top of the Page |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Top Stories |
|
Tortured for Mecca Masjid blast, money can't heal their wounds
From a bank
executive to a medical student to the imam of a mosque to an
embroidery worker, everyone arrested on false charges of
involvement in the 2007 Mecca Masjid blast »
Compensation, certificates to 61 Muslim youths
tortured in blast case
'Short on
funds' AP Govt to pay compensation from Mecca Masjid Account |
|
|
|
Most Read |
|
 No tiff, just communication gap with Mamata: Khurshid
The Congress
Sunday brushed off reports about cracks in the ruling UPA
coalition, saying "too much" should not be read »
Freezing ties: Mamata challenges Congress to walk out
|
|
Glimmer of hope for Bhopal gas victims, curative petition to be
amended
The Bharatiya Janata Party
ruled Madhya Pradesh Government has reportedly conceded to make
corrections in the curative petition about the number of deaths
and injuries before the Supreme Court. Leaders of five NGOs
(non-Government organizations) working for the welfare of the
survivors
» |
|
|
|
News Pick |
|
 Dubai-born Kashmiri brings 'change' to her village
Moved by the plight of her remote village in Jammu
and Kashmir state, a Kashmiri woman born and brought up in Dubai
relinquished what could » |
|
Non-resident Indians get voting rights
Fulfilling the long-standing demand of its diaspora, India Sunday
said it would allow Non-resident Indians (NRIs) to vote and
participate in the election process. "Pursuant to the law that was
enacted to enable Non-resident Indians
»
|
|
Ties with Israel can bring India-Pakistan closer: Musharraf
Pakistan's
former president General Pervez Musharraf has advocated for
establishing relations with Israel, saying it could help bring
India and Pakistan closer to each other, Geo News reported.
"Israel is a reality and we have to accept
» |
|
|
|
Picture of the Day |
|
 |
|
Dhananjay Bele, President of Nashik
Industries & Manufacturers Association (NIMA). addressing the
industrialists' meet in Malegaon Friday. The meeting was
organised as part of Malegaon Mahautsav 2012, a
three day event which began on January 06.
(Photo:
ummid.com) |
|
|
|
|
Comments
|
Quick links