Summary
JACUMBA, Calif. - Eight men have been charged in an unusual sting that investigators say highlights a new tactic in which immigrant smugglers never cross the border from Mexico - and instead use cellphones from nearby mountaintops to bark out real-time instructions to their customers as they navigate each step of the desert trek into the U.S.
The defendants were part of one of the first immigrant smuggling rings dismantled on the U.S.-Mexico border that exclusively uses cellphones, employing none of the foot guides commonly employed to lead groups across the border, said Derek Benner, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's special agent in charge of investigations in San Diego. The arrests took place Tuesday and Wednesday in the Los Angeles area.See the full content of this document
Extract
Cell-Toting Smugglers Guide Customers to U.S.
As a general rule, smugglers still employ foot guides but cellphones are turning up more frequently in areas where Mexican mountaintops afford sweeping views into the United States. Scouts keep customers on well-traveled paths and away from Border ...
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