Thread: Border Patrol says drug cartels are targeting young smuggler

Border Patrol says drug cartels are targeting young smugglers

Posted: Mar 08, 2011 11:47 PM CST
Updated: Mar 08, 2011 11:50 PM CST

Reporter: Steve Nuñez

TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) – According to the U.S. Border Patrol, drug cartels are targeting young teens to recruit them as drug traffickers. Now, agents are going into local schools to educate and warn students about the dangers of smuggling narcotics.

The video, titled "Operational Detour," uses graphic images and blunt language to illustrate the horrors and tragedies that befall individuals and their families who get involved in the drug trade.

In one scene the video shows a photo of teen kneeling down with a cartel member holding a gun to his head. The sound of gun shots can then be heard even though the video doesn't show the actual killing.

The goal: to scare students from becoming victims and statistics before it's too late.

But did these real-life images and straight talk seem real enough to really scare these impressionable middle school students at La Paloma Academy?

Megan Ray, an 8th grader, said yes. "And drugs could kill your future if you have plans of being successful in life."

Nine On Your Side Reporter Steve Nuñez also surveyed seven other students to find out exactly what they really know about drugs.

Nuñez asked them to raise their hands if they know someone who has used drugs. All eight students raised their hands.

While these same students claim they've never been approached to smuggle drugs, they do admit that it's easy for any 13 or 14-year old to get drugs.

"Because there's a lot of influence," said Caleb Pipes. "Sometimes you can get drugs sometimes real easy."

We should make it clear Pipes said he has never used drugs.

So, we asked if drugs are really a problem in schools. All eight students raised their hands to indicate that it was.

The Border Patrol claims agents have busted 49 juveniles for smuggling drugs in the first two months of this year alone. They were all recruited by the cartels.

However, not one single bust or arrest took place on a school campus.

Nuñez asked Cari Talley, whose son took part in our discussion, if public schools should be the one's teaching kids about the consequences of working for the cartels.

"I believe so," said Cari. "If the kids are being taught this coming from all angles it's reinforced in multiple ways."

The Border Patrol initiates contact with all partnering schools. Administrators at La Paloma Academy viewed the video and decided that it was something they wanted to show their students.

Since last May, agents have shown this same video to 11,100 students at schools located in Tucson and on the Tohono O'Odham reservation.

http://www.kgun9.com/global/story.asp?s=14214657

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