Illegal Immigrants Not The Only U.S. Border Problem
AP reports: “When it comes to smuggling animals across the U.S.-Mexico border, U.S. Wildlife Inspector Ed Marshall has seen it all.
“Exotic birds given Valium or tequila so they stay quiet through Customs inspections. Sleeves moving with hidden reptiles. Wildcats stashed in trunks. Last week, the Border Patrol seized two white tigers on their way to Mexico.
And in 2001, an African elephant was smuggled across the Gateway International Bridge on a truck. “They call it the ‘Dumbo Case,’” Marshall said, shaking his head.
(Question here: Where the heck did they get an elephant? A zoo? You’d figure it would be reported missing)
“The contraband is part of a global trade in endangered wildlife estimated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at $4.2 billion a year, second only to illegal drugs.“People don’t realize how serious and how important this is and that this is linked to organized crime,” said Crawford Allan of the World Wildlife Fund.
This story underscores the necessity to improve and increase our nation’s border security. It’s not just a debate about stopping the inflow of illegal immigrants but aso, as this report confirms, a direct tie to organized crime. Terrorist groups make perfect bedfellows.