Smuggling On The Sonoran Desert: An Analysis

The problem of drugs coming over into the United States from Mexico is not new, but it is serious and in spite of many efforts by American law enforcement and border authorities, it continues day after day. This paper reviews the problem from several perspectives and brings to light attempts the U.S. has made to stop drug trafficking on our border with Mexico. The biggest issue regarding border security is the power of the drug cartels, and the majority of emphasis in this paper is directed towards the cartels.

Have you ever wonder why they built borders? Or who built them? Or who prevents and controls illegals from crossing, and what they do to accomplish them from crossing? In the book, The Devils Highway, by Luis Alberto Urrea defines the effects the desert has to offer for the immigrant’s entrance. The Devils High Way is a measureless desert past Mexico and Sonora, which is one of the most isolated and driest deserts in the U.S. This is a desert which few

Drug smuggling has been an issue in the United States since the 1960s and the Border Patrol has made many efforts to stop drugs from crossing our borders. The Purpose of the Border Patrol is to secure and keep our borders safe. Recently their focus has been on illegal immigration and drug smuggling. Drug smuggling has become an increasing issue and the efforts of the Border Patrol are being pushed to stop these illegal activities. The influx of drugs into the U.S. has many effects on our country as a whole and as smugglers get creative in finding new methods to get around the Border Patrol, it becomes harder for them to stop it. This may be why it seems too easy to get drugs across the border. With new techniques of smuggling it allows for more drugs to enter the U.S. and it leave the Border Patrol on their toes and on a constant lookout for these new techniques.

The award-winning author, Luis Alberto Urrea, creator of The Hummingbird's Daughter, Into the Beautiful North, and The Devil's Highway, describes The Devil’s Highway which occurred in May of 2001, one of many that impacted the desert on undocumented immigrants. which is a desert located beyond Sonora, Mexico. It is a desert which few turn to in able to cross over. A group of illegal Mexican were left for dead after attempting to cross; they were left stranded after traveling for days in the wrong direction, through mountains, desert and only a small amount of water along with a few personal items. The Devil’s Highway name was set out to one’s belief “bad medicine” (5). Even though the desert is an obstacle itself, there are still other physical

Desert Immigrants: The Mexicans of El Paso 1880-1920 analyzes and discusses the Mexican immigrants to El Paso, Texas. The most western city of the vast state of Texas, a city in the edge of the Chihuahuan desert; a place too far away from many regions of the United States, but as Mario García explains a very important city during the development of the western United States. He begins explaining how El Paso’s proximity to different railroads coming from México and the United States converged there, which allowed El Paso to become an “instant city”, as mining, smelting, and ranching came to region. (García 2)

San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora - Tourism in San Luis is very popular due to the closeness to the border with the United States. It is an important port of entry, and many people cross the border each day to visit they city, eat or to get services. The municipal government has a program called Municipal Economic Development Program that coordinates efforts with the chambers, associations, colleges and intermediary organizations in the promotion of the economic development of the population and to promote tourism; however, there is not a specific organization that works that operates a visitor information center.

The topic that was covered over these past few weeks has been about the borders in Central America, Mexico, and the United States. For class we read Ted Conover’s Coyotes: A Journey Through the Secret World of America’s Illegal Aliens, Tracey Andrews’ Negotiating survival: undocumented Mexican immigrant women in the Pacific Northwest, and Gordon Hanson’s Illegal Migration from Mexico to the United States. We have also seen the film El Norte directed by Gregory Nava, the documentary De Nadie directed by Tin Dirdamal, and another documentary called Mojados which was directed by Tommy Davis. Although the films and readings were about the same issues they each portrayed the issue in different ways. For example the readings gave a lot more insight to the logistical aspects of the border issue, while the films gave more of an emotional insight to the issue.

First let's start off with with what the Keeper’s are for those who don’t know. The Keepers are people who are like a Border Patrol. They watch the border and any kids that come over with no parents they take in. Now I know they sound like the good guys, but they're not. These people who take them in put them to work, they have to work for there food. They sometimes are even torchured by the Keepers. The kids they brought in were somewhat like orphans. Ton Ton was one of those kids. Ton Ton was beaten and brought to the infirmary. Ton Ton said that he was the one who told the story of what happened to them. He was not the smartest kid, but he smart enough to figure out what was going on and what was happening.

Families relocate because they do not want to face state and federal crimes for smuggling cannabis across state lines. Or, be charged for child endangerment similar to the Brown Family of Minnesota. However, not all families have the means to relocate to another state. Jennifer Conforti has a daughter with severe biting habits and violent outbursts triggered by autism. The Conforti family resides in Georgia and had to smuggle cannabis oil. “I was worried that the Department of Family Services would take my daughter away. I was worried the sheriff would show up at my door and arrest me,” she comments (Jennifer quoted in Brunker, 2016). Similar fear of being caught identified in Kate Pickert’s statement of “a German shepherd approaches your

McCarty (2007) says “organizations like the Minuteman Project claim, citizen volunteers working with the organization, are cautious in the way they deal with undocumented migrant encounters in order to avoid potential torts. However, despite the extra caution the organization solicits assistance from volunteers who receive little training and may or may not undergo background check, the likelihood for renegade action increases” (p. 1491). Therefore, even though Jim Gilchrist, head of the Minuteman Project, claims his organization would not harm undocumented individuals, he continues to create a spectacle out of them (see above for an illustration from the www.minutemanproject.com). On the Minuteman Project website, Gilchrist continues to use the same mechanisms he used in April, 2015. He says "in order to save sovereignty something must be done against these colored invaders...English-speaking European-based white America is replaced with alternative ethnicities speaking non-English languages and practicing non-American traditions” (Minuteman Project website). Urrea concludes in The Devil's Highway, “In Arizona, the Immigration protests have a homegrown cowboy feel to them. Toxin materials appear in jugs that look like drinking water. Humane borders water stations are vandalized, the three hundred-gallon tanks broken open so they run dry. Small groups of Mexicans

As discussed by Hanson in “Illegal Migration from Mexico to the United States” large differences in wages serve as one of the reasons for Mexico-to-U.S. migration. In Grande's “Across a Hundred Mountains” Juana's father Miguel is forced to immigrate to the U.S. in order to pay for his family's dept. As a campesino (farmer), who planted and harvested crops on the side of the river, Miguel does not earn enough money to pay for his daughter funeral and not nearly enough to erect a new house for the rest of his family, therefore he turns for help to Don Elias, the richest and cruelest man in the village (Grande 13-27). Grande describes a common situation in life of the major part Mexico's citizens. Urrea's characters (based on real events) suffer

The term desert is strongly connected to the image of an extremely harsh environment void of any life. The sand dunes at the Gulf of California would fit this description of a desert biome, but for large parts the Sonoran Desert has a stunning array of different organisms.

Smuggling is the movement of pretty much any kind of goods into or out of a country even if the goods are illegal or legal. Legal could be vegetation, tobacco, alcohol. During the prohibition days, alcohol was illegal, I guarantee tequila was a hot item coming across the border. The reason people smuggled is not limited too but for profitable reasons or because that specific item is illegally being moved into the country to make money on selling. Really to me it all comes down to the mighty dollar. Smuggling is a way to pass taxes and laws so that they perp can have total profit of moving goods that are not taxed or legal to even sell. The selling of military grade firearms and drugs has a dramatic impact on society. The drug world is unforgiving where the wrong move could get your entire family wiped off the earth. This underground world has the firepower of the best firearms and the no forgiveness for deceit. The fear

Nearly one third of the 545 Australians currently imprisoned or facing charges overseas were convicted or arrested for drug-related crimes, according to the latest figures from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Smuggling is the illegal transportation of objects, information or people, such as out of a house or buildings, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations .