One group leads in human trafficking, study says

El Universal ^ | 1 March 2004 | Jorge Teheran

[JackelopeBreeder]

A Joint U.S.-Mexican report says the 'Gringo Coyote Company' is the single largest group now moving migrants.

A binational government study reveals the existence of a transnational group dedicated to trafficking Mexican and Latin American migrants into the United States. The group, known as the "Gringo Coyote Company," has become the largest human trafficking network smuggling undocumented migrants into the United States, the study says.

The network uses Mexican employees situated in Michoacan, Jalisco, Guanajuato, Puebla, Oaxaca, Chiapas, and other states to move Mexicans and migrants from Central and South America to the border, where U.S. citizens traffic the migrants into the United States.

The report, by the U.S. State Department, the Mexican National Migration Institute, and consular personnel from both nations, says the business of human trafficking earns groups like the Gringo Coyote Company some US $8 billion per year.

Dep. Pascual Sigala Paez, from the Party of the Democratic Revolution, said the group, which takes its name from one of the Spanish terms to describe the guides who offer to take migrants across the border, was dedicated to trafficking adults as well as minors who are handed over to the "business" to take them to their parents or siblings already living in the United States.

Sigala, who provided the data of the report to EL UNIVERSAL, said the scope of this "mafia" was indicated by the arrest of 123 people for human trafficking at the main crossing between Tijuana and San Diego last year. Sigala said 95 percent of those arrested were U.S. citizens, many of whom are allegedly connected to the Gringo Coyote Company.

"These traffickers were arrested, in the majority of the cases, when they were transporting Mexican children," Sigala said, adding the report said some 3,500 children are deported from the United States every year.

The study says that corrupt border officials on both sides of the border are in the pay of the migrant traffickers. The report estimates that a third of the group's earnings go to paying off officials.

The report says the Gringo Coyote Company rose up after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks when a group of U.S. citizens, some of whom are of Mexican descent, began a complex organization to traffic undocumented migrants.

[JackelopeBreeder]

I wonder if they sell stock in this enterprise?

[JackelopeBreeder]

Ping!

[templar]

Stock? Might not be a bad buy. After all, No competition, no regulation, no nothing to stand in the way of it's success. And plenty of cash money. Seems like a sure thing to me.

[brooklin]

I was wondering the same thing. My 401k needs a big lift.

[Missouri]

PING.

[FITZ]

Which drug cartel sponsors that group?

[JackelopeBreeder]

Probably most of them -- with extra fees for logistical support.

One-third of $8 billion goes for bribes to officials on both sides of the border; that buys one hellacious amount of cooperation. Toss in the bribe amounts for the drug trade and I could make a good case for saying Aztlan already exists and is run by the cartels.

[JackelopeBreeder]

I want the T-shirt franchise. Gringo Coyote Company just has a nice ring to it.

But then again, I also wanted to merge all the citizen groups here and rename the whole outfit as the Cochise County Canyon Country Coyote Catchers Club. I think two people agreed with me, but they were both drunk.

Speaking of which, it is time to pour that first rum of the night.

[JackelopeBreeder]

A quick google search gave me three pages of hits on Mexican newspapers for the Gringo Coyote Company. Zero hits for any US media. Interesting...

[anymouse]

"Ok, gentlemen your target has been identified. Now stop studying them and go out and arrest or otherwise put them out of business!" What President Bush should be saying to his Cabinet Staff.

[archy]

I wonder if they sell stock in this enterprise?

I bet they make political campaign contributions.