(NewsNation) — A cartel tactic that has historically only been found in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas, sector of the border has now been seen in the Del Rio area.
At a river in Eagle Pass, Texas, Lt. Chris Olivarez of the Texas Department for Public Safety took NewsNation to a river where crews came across several discarded paper bracelets, notated with a Sharpie and color-coordinated.
These bracelets, when worn by migrants, are proof they already paid the cartel member to get across the border, according to law enforcement. They also dictate where the migrant will cross.
This tactic spreading shows that the cartel is getting more coordinated, Olivarez said.
“They use the wristbands — we saw that early on when this whole border crisis started. Never seen in Eagle Pass, and we’re starting to see it now,” he said. “Probably because they’re smaller groups, the cartels are keeping them more controlled, more organized.”
While how and what methods they use to smuggle migrants might change, the issue of cartels charging to enter the United States is not a new issue.
Earlier this year, Border Report wrote about cartels offering so-called “VIP” packages for migrants to enter the U.S., charging up to $15,000 to help them cross the southern border.
