Migrants Are Now Paying Up to $18,000 To Be Smuggled Into U.S. as Cartels Hike Fees: Report

Human smuggling bust in Roma Texas (April 9, 2021) (Credit: Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

Mexican cartels have significantly increased their smuggling fees as illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border decline, according to a new report from NBC 5 Investigates.

A migrant recently apprehended by Texas state troopers near McAllen disclosed that he agreed to pay cartel operatives $18,000 to be smuggled into the U.S., with $12,000 paid upfront and $6,000 still owed.