Two Young Girls Trafficked by American Citizens Working for Cartels Shows Border Crisis Has Changed

The southern border: it’s a place of crossings, of hope, and, tragically, of exploitation. Child smuggling is a harsh reality, deeply entangled with the operations of criminal cartels. Recent events highlight the urgency of this crisis as two American citizens were arrested for attempting to smuggle two young girls across the border. These arrests have cast a spotlight on the dark underbelly of human trafficking. Gregory Bovino, El Centro Sector Chief Patrol Agent, offers critical insights into this disturbing issue. His perspective reveals the extent of cartel involvement and the dangers faced by these vulnerable children. What awaits these children if they aren’t caught?

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The incident occurred at a checkpoint in Westmorland, California. Border Patrol agents discovered two girls, ages 10 and 12, from Mexico asleep in the back seat of a car. It quickly became clear: these weren’t the children of the two women driving. The women now face serious smuggling charges. Chief Patrol Agent Bovino’s words are chilling: it’s “almost unbearable to think what heinous crime awaited these little girls.” This arrest offers a glimpse into the grim reality faced by children at the border.

How deeply are cartels involved? According to Chief Patrol Agent Bovino, cartels control nearly everything on the south side of the border. This control extends to human smuggling. “Undoubtedly,” Bovino states, “these two United States citizens are working for the cartels.”

For cartels, it all comes down to money. They will “stop at nothing to make a profit,” Bovino explains. This includes smuggling unaccompanied children for reasons we can only imagine. These children become commodities, their safety and well-being irrelevant to the smugglers. The risks are immense, and the potential for exploitation is horrifying.

Maline Rally’s reporting in the Free Press sheds light on another troubling aspect of this crisis. Read her work here to understand more. A whistleblower revealed that 329 children were sent to a single address—two garden apartments in Houston, Texas. Even more disturbing, the whistleblower was told to stop investigating and focus on moving migrants out of facilities faster.

Bovino describes the situation as a “border catastrophe.” Millions of illegal crossings create chaos. In this chaos, children can easily get “lost in the shuffle.” What happens to the children who aren’t found? What becomes of them?

It’s crucial to remember the children who are already in the United States, living with strangers. Many of them may have been sold into human trafficking and the sex trade. The potential for abuse is immense. The thought alone should spur us to action.

Bovino shared a harrowing story: a four-year-old drugged and pushed across the border. The child had non-surgical sutures in his abdomen. What was done to this child? What does this say about the treatment of children in these operations? The details are truly disturbing.

For years, real-time information from the border was scarce. This lack of transparency hinders our ability to understand and address the crisis effectively. We need more investigation and greater awareness.

Thankfully, there’s some good news. The two girls from the initial arrest are now with the Office of Refugee and Resettlement. The hope is to reunite them with their families.

But what about the children who aren’t rescued? Reunification isn’t always possible. An active operation is needed to find those already in the United States. These children could be working in sweatshops or trapped in sex trafficking.

Child smuggling at the southern border is a crisis fueled by cartels and exacerbated by systemic issues. Gregory Bovino’s insights highlight the vulnerability of these children. We must remain vigilant and work towards solutions.