Underage Teenagers Being Recruited Into Human Smuggling Operations, Texas Sheriff Warns

A sheriff’s office in Texas announced in a press release that a traffic stop over the weekend has brought newfound attention to how Mexican cartels use underage teenagers to carry out human smuggling.

According to the Kinney County Sheriff’s Office, the cartels use underage teenagers to act as drivers and organizers in their illicit operations and tell them they will not suffer any real penalties.

“This is frequently the case, as the U.S. Justice Department [DOJ] tends not to prosecute minors,” the office said. “When [the minors] turn 18, the cartels usually pressure them to transition to more dangerous work, like working as hitmen or drug smugglers and replace them with other children.”