Saturday, January 25, 2025

    The US National Guard has pledged to provide "immediate support" after Trump signed an executive order declaring a national emergency at the southwest border.  About 1500 US troops are to be sent to the Border.  The National Guard's involvement adds to a significant military presence at the border.  More than 4100 personnel from the Texas National Guard remain on active duty, reinforcing ongoing border security and enforcement operations.

What Happens Next

    The Associated Press reported on Friday that the Trump Administration will be expanding its use of "expedited removal" to deport migrants across the United States, despite concerns that the policy can be prone to mistakes.

    We see many people here fleeing Venezuela under Nicolas Madura.  The voice of the Venzuelian people has not been respected.  And the dismantling of democratic institutions has been accompanied by widespread violation and abuses of human right which are occurring now.

   Maduro has shown a blatant disregard for the rule of law.  This is a force impacting the entire region exacerbating humanitarianism and the migration crisis.

Drug Cartels in Mexico

    We also hear stories of violence from cartels as migrants flee across the border.  Due to its location, Mexico has long been used as a staging and transshipment point for narcotics and contraband between Latin America and US markets.

     Illicit drug use in Mexico is low compared the the United States but is on the rise.  The US is the worlds largest consumer of cocaine.  Their demand is what motivates the drug business.

    One of the main factors driving the Mexican drug was is widespread poverty.  In cities such as Ciudad Juarez, up to 60% of the economy depended on illegal sources of income.  Cartels have engaged in kidnapping, ransom murder, robbery and extortion of migrants traveling from Central America thru Mexico on their way to the United States.  There are also documented links between drug cartels and human trafficking, for forced labor, forced prostitution and rape.

     As of 2024 the Sinaloa Cartel is primarily involved in the distribution of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and remains Mexico's most dominant cartel.

    

BORTAC, or the Border Patrol Tactical Unit, is an elite tactical unit within the US Border Patrol that specializes in counterterrorism and high-risk situations came to El Paso.  BORTAC agents are sniper certified, carry large weapons, and are trined in flash bangs (?).  They respond to critical situations like terrorist threats, riots, and prison escapes, and are often deployed on high  -stakes busts.