US Soldier Admits Smuggling Illegal Aliens for 'Mexican Transnational Criminal Organization'

New Mexico -- An active duty member of the U.S. Army has admitted to his role in smuggling illegal aliens for what authorities are calling a Mexican “transnational criminal organization,” according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. federal court.

The soldier, Carlos Vives Feliciano, is described in the court documents as being “an active member of the United States Army, stationed at Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas.” He was caught by U.S. Border Patrol in a vehicle with another man carrying what authorities have described as as “alien smuggling load.”

5 Sep 2013
by Brandon Darby
Breitbart

Though the U.S. authorities do not specifically label the “transnational criminal organization” as a cartel, the court documents do reveal that the organization in question is based in Palomas, Chihuahua, Mexico. Drug war and Mexican cartel expert Sylvia Longmire recently told Breitbart News the organized crime groups referred to as cartels have increasingly taken control over smuggling illegal immigrants and that the smugglers work for or under the cartels.

Longmire’s analysis is also shared by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Their 2012 report on Central America and the Caribbean revealed that both human smuggling and human trafficking were increasingly being exploited by Mexican cartels and their subservient street gangs to replace decreasing cocaine profits.

This is not the first time Mexican “transnational criminal organizations” have recruited U.S. military servicemen into their criminal efforts. A recent report shows three previous incidents in which U.S. soldiers were hired as hit men or assassins for Mexican cartels.