Wonder how the Mexican drug cartels smuggle $50 billion in product over the United States border each year? Much of it is waved through by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The so-called border security agency is issuing passes to daily commuters from Mexico into the United States which exempts them from vehicle checks at the crossing as reported by Emily Smith for CNN. Although the passes only are issued to those who pass "a rigorous background check" -- for whatever that's worth -- the drug cartels can either scrounge up a clean applicant as a cooperative front or plant their load in the exempted vehicle of a coerced or perhaps unwitting mule.
The drug cartels long have smuggled their illicit product in rail cars and semi-trailers which have received inspection waivers at the border under the North American Free Trade Act.
The Mexican drug cartels also are using U.S. exports into Mexico as a cover by which to launder their money as reported by Tracy Wilkinson and Ken Ellingwood for the Los Angeles Times:
Instead of smuggling the money the old-fashioned way, by simply carrying it south in bags and trucks, teams of money launderers working for cartels use dollars to purchase a commodity, and then export the commodity to Mexico or Colombia. Paperwork is generated that gives a patina of propriety. Drug money is given the appearance of legitimate proceeds from a trade transaction.
The U.S. global trade and open border policies are working out really well for the Mexican drug cartels.
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