Victoria, a 29-year-old migrant from Puebla, Mexico says she’s well aware of the dangers posed by the criminal gangs that stalk the remote canyons of Santa Cruz County.

Though she’s never been victimized herself – she was recently repatriated for the fourth time after trying to cross into the United States illegally – Victoria said she’s heard horror stories from other deported migrants who were attacked by the so-called “border bandits.â€