HomeNewsBriefUS 'Operation Coyote' Fails to Address Child Migrant Crisis
BRIEF

US 'Operation Coyote' Fails to Address Child Migrant Crisis

HUMAN SMUGGLING / 23 JUL 2014 BY KYRA GURNEY EN

A US operation targeting human smugglers does not address the underlying factors driving a wave of Central American child migrants across the US border, and could increase the risks facing these migrants.

US Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson announced that "Operation Coyote" -- a 90-day operation that began June 23 -- had so far resulted in the arrests of 192 individuals and the seizure of $625,000 from 228 US bank accounts allegedly held by human smugglers, also known as "coyotes," reported the Los Angeles Times.

As part of the operation, which targets the Rio Grande Valley region in Texas, 60 investigators were sent to the cities of San Antonio and Houston.

The authorities have instructed banks to look for suspicious cash deposits made from different US locations into a single account. Officials believe smugglers are using these so-called "funnel accounts" to receive payments from the family members of migrants.

At the state level, Texas Governor Rick Perry announced that he would deploy up to 1,000 National Guard troops to the border, purportedly to "combat the brutal Mexican drug cartels." 

InSight Crime Analysis

Since October 2013, nearly 57,000 unaccompanied child migrants -- mainly from the Central American "Northern Triangle" countries of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador -- have been detained in the United States. Research conducted by one US researcher indicated many of the migrants were fleeing gang violence in the region, while economic and social problems have also been factors in their departure.

In recent months, Northern Triangle governments have also announced strategies targeting human smugglers. El Salvador President Salvador Sanchez Ceren said in June that his country would begin targeting coyotes, while Guatemala's Congress is considering changes to the country's Migration Law that would establish penalties of up to 12 years in prison for human smugglers.

SEE ALSO: Coverage of the US-Mexico Border

However, such measures are unlikely to have a significant impact on the crisis. Although arrests may deter some coyotes from bringing migrants northward, children will undoubtedly continue to make the journey until the root causes of migration, such as gang violence, have been addressed. Given the profits to be made, others will step forward to take the place of migrant smugglers who drop out of the business.

Increasing the pressure on coyotes and stationing more troops at the border may only make the situation more dangerous for child migrants. While there are plenty of cases of human smugglers taking advantage of migrants, one coyote told El Faro that it is in the best interest of smugglers to make sure migrants arrive safely because their business depends on their good reputation. The families of many child migrants pay coyotes with full knowledge of the journey's risks and the limits of the coyote's assistance, he pointed out.

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

HUMAN RIGHTS / 27 JUL 2021

Reports of migrants dying and disappearing in the US-Mexico borderlands are becoming increasingly common, propelled in part by a restrictive…

COCAINE / 17 JAN 2023

The trial of Mexico’s former top public security official will reveal shortcomings in the fight against organized crime.

FEATURED / 15 MAR 2022

The $215,520 began its journey south in the parking lot of a Meijer grocery store in Louisville, Kentucky, a 19-hour…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Continues to be Highlighted

3 MAR 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-director Jeremy McDermott was the featured guest on the Americas Quarterly podcast, where he provided an expert overview of the changing dynamics…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela's Organized Crime Top 10 Attracts Attention

24 FEB 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published its ranking of Venezuela’s ten organized crime groups to accompany the launch of the Venezuela Organized Crime Observatory. Read…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime on El País Podcast

10 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-founder, Jeremy McDermott, was among experts featured in an El País podcast on the progress of Colombia’s nascent peace process.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Interviewed by Associated Press

3 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime’s Co-director Jeremy McDermott was interviewed by the Associated Press on developments in Haiti as the country continues its prolonged collapse. McDermott’s words were republished around the world,…

THE ORGANIZATION

Escaping Barrio 18

27 JAN 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published an investigation charting the story of Desafío, a 28-year-old Barrio 18 gang member who is desperate to escape gang life. But there’s one problem: he’s…