Since Operation Lone Star began over four years ago, Texas has seen a dramatic rise in the number of people arrested for human smuggling. Under the state’s human smuggling law, thousands of people—many of whom are U.S. citizens—have been accused, and those found guilty face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years.
Arrests have increased as a result of the law, which was designed to counter the Mexican cartels that dominate most border smuggling and trafficking activities.
Some of those apprehended were not aware that their actions were illegal. On social media sites like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat, where ambiguous advertisements offering drivers large sums of money circulate, a large number of people are recruited.
Following a response, WhatsApp users are instructed to pick up migrants close to the U.S.-Mexico border and transfer them to places such as Dallas and Houston.
In the spring of 2023, 33-year-old musician Justin Persinger met a woman who offered him $1,000 to take people to the border, which led him to become involved in a smuggling operation. After unintentionally transporting migrants, Persinger was taken into custody.
He was unaware that he would be charged with human smuggling for what appeared to be a straightforward ride-sharing job.
Defense lawyers contend that because social media posts hardly ever address the illegal nature of the work, these people are frequently misinformed and uninformed that they are breaching the law.
According to defense attorney Mary Pietrazek of San Antonio, “it’s not out of the realm of possibility for somebody to want a driver,” she told the Texas Tribune.
Although Texas has had a human smuggling legislation for more than 25 years, the severity of its punishments has increased with time. The stakes for individuals caught in smuggling operations were further raised in 2023 when Congress introduced a rule mandating a mandatory 10-year sentence for anyone found guilty of smuggling.
Compared to the 1,400 arrests made the year before Operation Lone Star started, the number of arrests for people smuggling skyrocketed to 17,500 in 2022.
Despite the fact that the law targets cartels, the majority of arrests are made of American citizens, many of whom are under 27, and some as young as 18.
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Criminal justice reformers and immigrant rights organizations are among the law’s detractors, claiming it has stretched local judicial systems and resulted in excessive incarceration.
Last year, over 28,000 smuggling cases were filed, overwhelming courts that are underequipped to deal with the volume of cases.
Texas’s increased arrests for human smuggling and other enforcement actions have raised questions about the law’s fairness and potential effects on innocent people. Many people who are detained are only attempting to earn additional money without realizing that their actions are criminal, according to legal experts.
At the Interstate-25 crossing on Sunday, U.S. Border Patrol officers in the El Paso Sector found 37 unauthorized migrants concealed inside a tractor-trailer, according to CBP.
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Agents detected movement from the back of the trailer and discovered the migrants during a regular inspection. They discovered people trying to conceal themselves behind freight after conducting additional research.
The migrants come from a variety of nations, such as Ecuador, Cuba, El Salvador, Mexico, and Guatemala. After being arrested, they were brought to the Central Processing Center.
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