A Mexican city councilwoman was arrested by the US Border Patrol when it was discovered that she was smuggling 93 pounds of cocaine in his car, CBS News reports.
This is not the first time that Mexican government members have been shown to have connections with the Cartel and other criminal activities. Genaro Garcia Luna, the former federal official in charge of fighting drug cartels, had been taking bribes from the Cartel and is now on trial in New York.
The councilwoman admitted having smuggled before. Reynosa, the city across from McAllen, TX, has been the scene of brutal warfare between government forces and cartels. The Gulf cartel, once the leader in its area, has splintered into factions, driving the killing to new heights.
Border crime has been on the rise since the end of Title 42, which removes the emergency powers to monitor the border. Fentanyl’s very high potency to weight and price has also continued to make drug smuggling lucrative.
While it would not get rid of cross border crime altogether, a renewed “Remain in Mexico” bill would help reduce the flow between Mexico and the United States, allowing Border Patrol to focus on drug smuggling.
