Mexican drug cartels have been targeting truckers part of the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism in order to smuggle drugs into the US. Truck companies part of the program are allowed to quickly pass through the border. Now Mexican drug cartels are either bribing or threatening the truck drives to smuggle drugs across the border.
From Washington Times
The government keeps the list of participants secret, citing national security and trade secrets. But some of the 9,500 companies that are part of the system advertise their membership to drum up business, making them targets for smugglers, who can then threaten drivers or offer them bribes.
More than half of all U.S. imports now come from companies in the program, called the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, or C-TPAT. Mexican trucking companies make up only 6 percent of global membership in the system, but they account for half of its 71 security violations during the past two years.[...]
"The basic vulnerability for a truck driver remains the 'plata-or-plomo' dilemma," Mr. Flynn said, using Spanish shorthand for taking a bribe or a bullet.
No comments:
Post a Comment