U.S.-Mexico border smuggling, commanded by mobile phone to evade arrest

U.S.-Mexico border smuggling, commanded by mobile phone to evade arrest. When a group of immigrants trying to enter the United States from Mexico walked north through the desert in the southern part of Honshu Island at night, one of them...

When a group of immigrants trying to enter the United States from Mexico walked north through the desert in the southern part of Honshu Island at night, one of them received a text message on his mobile phone: " Be careful, there is danger ahead, hide in the bushes.” The New York Times reported that this message meant that there were Border Patrol agents ahead and you must be careful. The message was sent by a people smuggler who was looking through binoculars to see if the group was hiding on a hillside along the Mexican-U.S. border. Border officials and immigration activists say this is a new trend in people crossing the border illegally, using "cybercoyotes" for human smuggling. Officials say increased border enforcement is making it more difficult to enter the United States. Repeat offenders caught during operations usually receive heavy sentences, which makes human smugglers more vigilant. Using mobile phones to avoid capture has become a new trend. Activists and Border Patrol agents say a group of illegal immigrants may be accompanied by a guide as they cross the border. The guides maintained radio contact with their accomplices, who issued warnings of danger ahead. But Escalante, spokesman for the Border Patrol's Tucson office, said the Border Patrol is aware of migrants crossing the border alone but maintaining cellphone contact with their guides. Cell phones are ubiquitous in Mexico; many migrants consider them essential tools for crossing the border, along with sturdy shoes and a water bottle. Now, in addition to being a tool for communicating with family members, some illegal immigrants also rely on mobile phones to evade authorities. The text messages are usually sent during the first hour or so of migrants' journey north. If they can get there safely, illegal immigrants then meet guides on the U.S. side of the border who help them travel further north to waiting vehicles. Many people are involved in the process, monitoring the southern Arizona desert from lookout points, helping to guide migrants and warn against detection by authorities. Veteran Border Patrol agents say smugglers are constantly inventing new ways to evade authorities. "They're constantly inventing clever new ways to evade us," said Bonner, the former president of the National Border Patrol Council. The group of 13 illegal immigrants who set out for Arizona on Tuesday night discovered that the cellphone surveillance system had serious limitations. The group was taken to a remote border area in Pima County by a guide who jotted down their cellphone numbers and instructed them on how to switch their service from Telcel in Mexico to AT&T in the United States. The migrants said it costs $2,000 to $3,500 to cross the border, with some paying up front and others paying part and paying the balance after crossing. A guide helped them climb a border fence a few miles west of Nogales, then guided them north through a well-worn path to Sierra Vista. There will also be text messages over the next hour instructing them on what to do. But after a final text message warned them of danger ahead, they were spotted by Border Patrol agents, taken to a detention facility and then deported. Migrants in distress can also use their mobile phones to seek help. In one instance last year, a Border Patrol search and rescue team received a 911 call from the mountains of Southern California. The team members saw the faint light on a mobile phone in the helicopter and found a migrant who was unable to walk. Of course, cellphones not only help migrants cross the border but also help patrols hunt for them. The 2010 murder of a rancher at the border captured national attention and remains unsolved. Rep. Giffords, who was shot and wounded on Jan. 8, had pushed for increased cellphone coverage in the district. After she was injured, another Congressman, Ted. Pere introduced legislation to use federal funding to help strengthen communications along the border.