New Mexico Republicans are urging Governor c to send National Guard troops to the border to address what they described as a migrant smuggling and fentanyl trafficking crisis there.
According to Border Report, the call came during a trip by a GOP delegation to a section of the border "rife with organized smuggling activity and encounters with migrants not trying to apply for asylum but seeking to evade capture."
"The other three border states with Mexico have all taken the National Guard and, in one way or the other, (place them) along the border. We are hearing from Border Patrol that has forced the illegal immigration to look for the weak spots, and there are weak spots all across the New Mexico border," said state Rep. Rod Montoya, a Republican from the San Juan county.
Lawmakers added that smugglers are using injured or sick migrants or unaccompanied minors as decoys for Border Patrol, attracting officers to them and transporting more people elsewhere.
Governor Grisham did not immediately respond to the call. She did say in the past that she shared Republicans' concerns but urged them to persuade their fellow party members to pass a bipartisan border bill (which perished earlier this year after the GOP went against it).
New Mexico has garnered more attention as a migration route as patterns shift amid some state administration's crackdowns, Texas among them. Large deserted areas are known to pose significant risks to migrants, many of whom have died in the state.
In fact, the federal government recently kicked off a campaign seeking to discourage migrants from taking a specific, perilous route through New Mexico and Texas that is known as "the graveyard."
149 migrants died in this area, which encompasses far west Texas and southern New Mexico, in fiscal year 2023. 34 more have lost their lives since October 1, when fiscal year 2024 started. 90% of all fatalities took place in New Mexico.
In this context, federal authorities have partnered with local officials and Mexican diplomats with this purpose. The campaign, called "No se arriesgue" (Don't risk it) is running public service announcements online and engaging the Spanish-speaking community.
"This site symbolizes the struggle of thousands of migrants who are exploited by transnational criminal organizations and smuggled across this treacherous terrain with complete disregard for their safety," said El Paso Sector Border Patrol Chief Agent Anthony "Scott" Good.
"The migrants are not properly informed about dangers. The steep terrain, the jagged cliffs increase the risk of injury. A simple twist of an ankle can easily turn critical," he added. To cross into the U.S., migrants have to go through Mount Cristo Rey, which can be extremely difficult for many who are already in weak health as a result of their lengthy journey to the border.
Moreover, a Democratic lawmaker from New Mexico joined a Republican from Colorado to introduce a bill seeking to use proceedings from cartel seizures to fund awareness campaigns about the dangers of becoming involved in human smuggling operations.
The bill comes after news of several U.S teens dying while driving cars with undocumented migrants or attempting to smuggle drugs from border cities further into the U.S., according to Border Report.
"Teens in El Paso and New Mexico are enticed to transport migrants, with the recruiting taking place through social media apps and word-of-mouth," explained a deep-dive explained by Border Report late last year. The main reason for this? "The lack of punishment or prosecution with regards to the minors in New Mexico," according to Sunland Park Police Chief Eric Lopez.
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