AMERICAN TEENS ARE SMUGGLING MIGRANTS illegally into the United States at alarming rates. And law enforcement officials told Newsweek that money is the No. 1 reason that juveniles are entering into transnational crime.
Human smuggling is defined by the federal government as the illegal importation of people into the country by evading federal immigration laws, as well as the unlawful transportation and harboring of noncitizens already illegally in the country. And the Biden administration has faced increasing pressure over its immigration policies.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement serves as the leading U.S. agency in combating the threat, which is described as a gateway for criminal offenses including identity theft, document and benefit fraud, gang activity, and financial fraud and terrorism.
The state of Texas, through its Department of Public Safety, has kept data on smuggling and the transportation and harboring of migrants arriving illegally, as part of its Operation Lone Star program that began in March 2021.
In April, the office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott said OLS has resulted in more than 503,800 apprehensions of migrants entering the country illegally and more than 40,400 criminal arrests, with more than 36,100 felony charges.
Data updated in January and shared by Texas DPS with Newsweek shows hundreds of arrests and charges associated with human smuggling, with ages of suspected offenders running the gamut-some offenders born in the early 1960s to as recently as 2008.
In terms of those bringing in and harboring noncitizens, the ages of those with offenses ranges from 18 to 66.
In November last year, two Dallas teens were arrested for smuggling. One of them, 17-year-old Jonathan Rodriguez, told NewsNation that they were offered $1,300 to transport. He was charged as an adult.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Zachary Quinto
ZACHARY QUINTO HAS PLAYED DOCTORS BEFORE, BUT HE'S \"NEVER PLAYED a doctor like\" the one he plays on NBC's Brilliant Minds (September 23).
Adam Brody
NETFLIX KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT MILLENNIALS want, and it's to see Adam Brody and Kristen Bell fall in love.
Partners in Crime
Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt shares his delight at teaming up with Shailene Woodley again in new Amazon Prime movie Killer Heat
HOW TO FIND A WORKPLACE THAT LOVES YOU BACK
Insights from America's Top Most Loved Workplaces
MOST LOVED WORKPLACES 2024
AT A TIME WHEN WORKERS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES CONTINUE TO redefine what they expect from their jobs, the companies on Newsweek's annual list of the Most Loved Workplaces in America are setting the standard for what a fulfilling workplace looks like.
Q&A LEE YARON
With 10/7, the professional became profoundly personal.
SDEROT INTERSECTION
How Jewish and Arab strangers united to rescue two little girls amidst Hamas' October 7 attack
No End in Sight
AS TENSIONS CONTINUE TO FLARE AT ISRAEL'S BORDERS, NEWSWEEK DISCOVERS HOW LIFE HAS CHANGED IN THE REGION A YEAR ON FROM THE OCTOBER 7 HAMAS ATTACKS
Thai Scammers Set Sights on US
Newsweek looks inside the Southeast Asian country's $2 billion cybercrime industry and how American citizens are now falling prey to sophisticated schemes run overseas
PARTING SHOT: Sarah Paulson
\"CAN YOU IMAGINE IF THE AIR WAS JUST FILLED WITH DUST PARTICLES and you literally could not breathe?\" That's what Sarah Paulson is tackling in her new film Hold Your Breath (October 3).