Peach Tree Times

The Committee on Homeland Security is investigating the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's intelligence sharing on cartel smuggling at the southwest border, citing concerns over departmental leadership's apparent lack of awareness on key issues.

"Your ignorance of such basic and readily public information suggests a breakdown in intra-agency intelligence sharing," Chairman of The Committee on Homeland Security Mark E. Green said.

The Committee on Homeland Security has launched an oversight investigation into the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) intelligence sharing concerning cartel smuggling activities at the southwest U.S. border. In a letter dated August 21, 2023, to the Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, the Committee expressed concerns over an apparent lack of awareness within the Department's leadership on critical issues.

The letter, authored by Green, revealed that the U.S. Border Patrol had encountered over 5.1 million illegal immigrants entering the U.S. through unofficial ports of entry since President Biden took office. The Committee pointed out that nearly all of these illegal entries were facilitated by Mexican cartels, which they described as running a billion-dollar human smuggling business.

"President Biden's border crisis creates a prime environment for a billion-dollar human smuggling business," Green stated in the letter.

The Committee highlighted media reports that have been circulating since 2021, pointing out that cartels treat migrants, including children, as "mere profitable cargo." The cartels reportedly require migrants to wear colored wristbands that indicate various details such as the cartel they owe money to and their stage in the smuggling process. The Committee emphasized that despite appearing systematic, cartels' methods are savage. They collect information about migrants' families for extortion purposes and have been known to leave migrants to die in severe conditions.

The Committee's concerns were amplified by a recent incident where Secretary Mayorkas seemed unaware of cartels' use of wristbands to facilitate human trafficking. In a March 2023 Senate Committee on the Judiciary hearing, when questioned about the wristbands by Senator Ted Cruz, Secretary Mayorkas responded, "I don't know what they are, Senator."

To further understand what the Committee describes as a "failure at the Department," they have requested a list of documents and communications relating to cartels' use of wristbands for migrants. The deadline for the Department to respond is 5:00 p.m. on September 4, 2023.

The oversight investigation comes at a time when border issues continue to be a significant point of political and social concern. The Committee on Homeland Security is now seeking to ensure that the Department of Homeland Security is fully informed and prepared to address these challenges.