The El Paso area has seen a sharp increase in migrant deaths, with 23 lives lost since the end of the last fiscal year. Between October 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024, 176 migrants died while attempting to cross illegally into the United States. The deaths occurred in treacherous locations like the deserts and mountains of New Mexico, in canals, and on roadways used by smugglers. The high-speed, overcrowded vehicles used by smugglers also contributed to the fatalities.
Federal authorities have issued renewed warnings to potential migrants about the risks they face. Claudio Herrera-Baeza, a U.S. Border Patrol spokesman, highlighted that the deaths were not solely due to extreme heat but also the dangers of hypothermia, water canals, and overcrowded vehicles. "Even when you jump inside a vehicle, a small sedan full of 10 individuals, it can be really dangerous," Herrera-Baeza said.
Migrant advocacy organizations in the El Paso region have long pushed for expanded legal migration options to reduce the need for dangerous smuggling routes. Despite recent efforts, the number of migrant surrenders at the border has decreased since the Biden administration's crackdown on unscheduled asylum claims last June. Border agents reported apprehending only 110,138 individuals in October and November 2024, a sharp decline from 379,855 in the same months of 2023, according to the Border Report.
However, much of the recent border traffic is still linked to organized smuggling activities. A significant recent event involved Border Patrol agentsin the El Paso Sector stopping a tractor-trailer carrying 37 unauthorized migrants. The migrants were found during a routine inspection and hail from different countries, including Guatemala, Mexico, Cuba, El Salvador, and Ecuador.
Meanwhile, migrant arrivals in Juarez, Mexico, have been increasing. One migrant, Kleiber Chacon, shared his harrowing experience of attempting to cross into the U.S. He was part of a group that tried to surrender to U.S. authorities at the border wall in El Paso but was turned back by Texas National Guard troops. Chacon described injuring his hands while getting caught in razor wire during the attempt.
Chacon, a Venezuelan national, said he was aware of the many dangers he faced but remained determined to reach his family in the U.S. "The intent remains the same. We have a purpose; we have a dream," he said. "Our family is waiting for us... for our families, anybody can do anything."
Social Media to Recruit Drivers for Human Smuggling
Texas has seen a sharp increase in human smuggling arrests following the launch of Operation Lone Star nearly four years ago. Thousands of people, often American citizens, have been charged under the state's human smuggling law, which now carries a mandatory 10-year minimum sentence for those convicted.
The law, intended to combat the Mexican cartels that control much of the border smuggling and trafficking operations, has led to a rise in arrests, with some of those caught unaware of the criminal nature of their actions. Many individuals are recruited through social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat, where vague ads offering substantial sums for drivers circulate. Once people respond, they are directed through WhatsApp to pick up migrants near the U.S.-Mexico border and transport them to cities like Houston and Dallas.
Texas' human smuggling law has been in effect for over 25 years, but its penalties have grown stricter over time. In 2023, lawmakers passed a law requiring a mandatory 10-year sentence for anyone convicted of smuggling, further increasing the stakes for those caught in these operations.
In 2022, the number of arrests for human smuggling soared to 17,500 — a stark increase from 1,400 arrests just the year before Operation Lone Star began. However, while the law targets cartels, most arrests are of U.S. citizens, many of whom are under 27 years old, with some as young as 18.
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