Texas Border: Cartels Recruit U.S. Soldiers as Smugglers

Governor calls accused soldier-smuggler "a traitor and a criminal"

State, County, and Federal officers search a suspected migrant smuggling vehicle in Kinney County (March 31, 2024)Photo byKinney County Sheriff's Office (via NewsNation)

Mexican cartels are recruiting U.S. soldiers as smugglers for their human trafficking operations along the Texas border. In one Texas border county alone, law enforcement officers have arrested three U.S. Army soldiers since April for attempting to smuggle migrants deeper into the state.

The latest arrests were announced this month, as three soldiers from Fort Cavazos in Killeen, Texas were accused by US Attorneys of being involved in a human smuggling ring. Two were arrested following a police chase of a car containing three migrants late last month near the border in West Texas. The third soldier was arrested later at Fort Hood after investigators determined he recruited the others.

These arrests follow the arrest of another soldier on August 21, 2024, for human smuggling in Southwest Texas.

Officers in Kinney County search a truck they say a National Guardsman was using to smuggle a migrant into Texas.Photo byKinney County Sheriff's Office (via NewsNation)

Kinney County Deputies arrested a 19 year-old Army National Guardsman from San Antonio while attempting to smuggle a migrant through their county.

In March of 2024, a 23-year-old Army Reservist from Austin was arrested for attempting to smuggle two migrants through Kinney County.

Days earlier, Kinney County Deputies arrested another Texas Military Forces member for attempting to smuggle yet another migrant through Kinney County. That soldier - unlike the two others who drove there from Central Texas- was assigned to Texas "Operation Lone Star" border security mission.

That arrest stung Texas Governor Greg Abbott - who (through a spokesman) said "If the allegations are true, the accused is a traitor and criminal:"

Photo byTexas Governor Greg Abbott (via NewsNation)

Mexican cartels are using TikTok to recruit these soldiers (and other Texans) with the lure of easy money in exchange for smuggling migrants through the state.

Screengrab of cartel TikTok video recruiting drivers to smuggle six migrants in Falfurrias, Texas, home to a Border Patrol checkpoint.Photo byTikTok via Fox News

Kinney County Sheriff Brad Coe says that while he "doesn’t sympathize with these criminals—the guard’s low pay and the cartel’s easy (social media) access (plays) a part in this dangerous game."

Are you surprised that Mexican Cartels are recruiting U.S. soldiers as human smugglers?

Share your opinion in the comments on this article!

Abrazos,

Jack Beavers

Jack Beavers - US Border News