N.M. Sheriff: Closed Ports Of Entry Are Green Lights For Cartels

Otero County, New Mexico Sheriff David Black is pointing out the danger in pulling border agents away from security missions. An estimated 50-percent of agents have now been pulled from various inland posts to process, transport and care for asylum-seekers. This comes as an estimated 800 migrants are arriving in the region each day.

Some believe the migrant influx has served as a so-called “smoke screen” for cartels, whose criminal activity has skyrocketed.

Otero County has reallocated their resources to monitor the abandoned areas of the border for drug-runners and human smugglers. Before the checkpoints closed in March, deputies seized $3,500 worth of illicit drugs, including meth, heroin and marijuana. They seized over $60,000 worth of drugs in April.

“I believe its a direct result of having our checkpoints shut down, so the state of emergency is pretty much a shout out to cry for help to get our checkpoints back open,” stated Otero County commissioner Couy Griffin.

Otero County was the first border community to declare a state of emergency over the border crisis. Griffin believes that without proper defense, the crime will begin to move north.