Thread: Travelers Needed!!

There is a phenomenom on Americas 35 HWY known as the "mini-van caravan". Hispanics are traveling as far north as Minnesota and buying used vehicles (mostly mini-vans and suvs). These vehicles are then driven and/or towed to Mexico where they are sold for a healthy profit.

What's the problem you ask? Well in theory it's a great idea. Poor mexicans are getting transportation for cheaper than a local new or used vehicle and we are reaping the profit at home from vechicles that would have been junked. But then come in the dangers. Many of these vehicles are bought by drug cartels and smugglers (remember the SUV that was caught on fire in the Rio Grande?). But the worse part comes in with the transportation of the vehicles.

A caravan will nomally consist of 4-5 driving vehicles with each towing another. There will be one employer, a man who speaks at least decent english and is a US Citizen with a Drivers License. The other drivers will not all be Citizens and most will not have drivers licenses.

The worst part is most of the vehicles towing others are ones purchased at the same location, they do not have insurance or valid plates.

Returing home from my recent trip to Kansas my girlfriend and I noticed one of these caravans only ONE of the vans had a license plate at all. The rest did not even bother and the ones being driven had auction markings on the windows. We called Kansas and Oklahoma authorities but still saw the caravan in North Texas.

If you are out traveling on 35 HWY this summer please keep your eye on these caravans and immediately report them to State Highway patrol or Troopers if you notice they do not have license plates. They are a threat to all of us and the end vehicles could end up being used to smuggles narcotics, marijauna and illegal immigrants.

This is UGLY..............thanks for the story...wish I lived closer to the area...I'd take a drive.

Thanks dragon for the story but if you scroll down or on the next page this story was already posted.

BTW, there's ANOTHER TRICK they've come up with. They will come up a vehicle and put a license plate on it from ANOTHER state instead of the state where they are. I cannot figure the reason for this out.

So you will see they all of a sudden have "another" vehicle parked at their house. AT FIRST there is no license plate on it. A few days later it will have a Massachusettes or North Carolina license plate on it.

What is this about ? Inevitably that vehicle often disappears after a short period of time and the process starts over again.

Thanks for the heads up Legal will watch for that bait and switch routine in my area. BTW my license did get stolen by a guy from North Carolina, Geez. How do I know that, he lived downstairs from me and was moving back to North Carolina. Wish I had gotten the plate number off his other car before he hit the road as it was a North Carolina plate.

This is also occurring in Houston on Highway 59 (which heads southwest toward Mexico). I have seen at least 30 of these over the past year. I will notice a mid size or full size pick-up truck towing a car or truck with the words "IN TOW" painted on the back window.

My first thought was that it looked very suspicious. After seeing it so often (in broad daylight going through the middle of the 4th largest city in the country), I assumed it was most likely legit because it would probably be stopped by police if there was something illegal going on.

I always notice the same thing though: anywhere from 2 to 10 vehicles in a row; plates missing; any time of day; no police involvement.