Extortion and kidnap - a deadly journey across Mexico

The influx of migrants crossed the confederate US borderline has go a captious origin successful the US statesmanlike election. But what is small known is the relation of cause cartels successful making a unsafe travel crossed Mexico adjacent much perilous.

With its portion clubs, taco stands and buzzing motorbikes, San Luis Rio Colorado is emblematic of Mexican borderline communities.

In a migrant shelter, a stone's propulsion from the towering, rust-red obstruction that separates the municipality from the US authorities of Arizona, Eduardo rests connected a shady patio.

On 1 wall, there's a ample woody cross. And it's present that Eduardo began to process - and retrieve from - his terrifying ordeal successful Mexico.

Eduardo, who is successful his 50s, utilized to tally a fast-food edifice successful Ecuador. But organised transgression has tightened its grip successful his former, mostly peaceful, South American home.

"As concern radical we were extorted," helium says. Eduardo was threatened with decease if helium didn't wage a 'tax' to the gang. "What could we do? To prevention our lives we had to leave."

Eduardo ne'er wanted to migrate, but helium was frightened and decided to caput to the US to inquire for asylum.

His communicative is emblematic of thousands of radical from galore parts of the satellite fleeing unit and seeking a caller beingness successful the US.

After a grounds fig of arrivals astatine the extremity of 2023, Democratic President Joe Biden projected stricter migration measures which see shutting the borderline erstwhile it's overwhelmed. His hostile Republican Donald Trump says helium volition present wide deportations if elected successful November.

What has stayed mostly nether the radar successful the statement astir wide migration to the US is the relation of Mexico's deadly cause trafficking organisations.

Eduardo began his travel by flying from the Ecuadorean superior Quito to Mexico City. Then helium boarded a autobus northbound to Sonoyta connected the US border, a travel of much than 30 hours.

The passengers were a premix of migrants and Mexicans. But what Eduardo didn't admit was that his travel would instrumentality him crossed terrain controlled by immoderate of Mexico's astir convulsive cause cartels and their associates - malevolent forces that predominate the concern of migration.

The archetypal clip the autobus was stopped, it was aboriginal morning, astir 6am. Ten equipped men wearing balaclavas got connected board.

The autobus was driven off-road towards the mountains. The men asked to spot everyone's papers. Once they established who the migrants were, they asked each of them for 1500 pesos (US$90) oregon they would beryllium detained.

The migrants pooled their currency but were abbreviated by 200 pesos (US$12). The men fto them disconnected and 11 hours aft being stopped, the autobus was allowed to spell connected its way.

San Luis Rio Colorado, the borderline municipality wherever Eduardo recuperated astatine the migrant shelter, has besides gained a estimation for the kidnap of migrants.

In May past year, neighbours of a modern, two-storey location connected the borderline of municipality reported antithetic comings and goings. When the Mexican authorities swooped, 5 radical were arrested and much than 100 migrants freed. Some of them had been held successful the location for 3 weeks.

"They didn't person nutrient and water, and they were maltreated physically and psychologically," says Teresa Flores Munoz, a section constabulary serviceman progressive successful the operation.

She remembers a pistillate from India. "She was crying and holding her baby. She pushed the babe astatine maine - she said I should instrumentality him, due to the fact that they were going to termination him. It was truly desperate."

Twenty-three nationalities were represented among the captives, including radical from Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, China, Mauritania and Senegal.

According to section reports, the kidnappers demanded US$2,500 from each migrant, treble from large women.

If the migrants bash not person the money, the gangs request it from relatives either backmost location oregon northbound of the borderline successful the US.

These extortionists and hostage-takers are not lone nonrecreational criminals - immoderate are besides instrumentality enforcement. As Eduardo's autobus continued northbound done the Mexican states of Sinaloa and Sonora, helium says they were stopped astatine six constabulary checkpoints wherever officers demanded wealth from the migrants.

"If you didn't person currency they called you over. They said, 'take disconnected your trousers, instrumentality disconnected your clothes', and you person to springiness them everything, similar your suitcase. If you didn't person wealth they took your papers - that's however I mislaid immoderate documents."

Bus holdups targeting migrants aren't unusual. In San Luis Rio Colorado, we worked with a section Mexican journalist. After helium near us, helium sent america photos, taken secretly, of his autobus location being stopped by a gang, their faces covered.

"Everyone connected the autobus knew they were sicarios [hitmen] for the cause and migrant trafficking mafia," helium said.

The masked men lone questioned radical they suspected weren't Mexican - those successful mediocre clothing, their faces fearful. The 5 oregon six migrants taken disconnected the autobus were each extorted of up to US$50.

The doorway of the men's motortruck bore the logo of an bureau of Sonora's State Prosecutor - AMIC (Agencia Ministerial de Investigaciones Criminales) - tin beryllium seen. Our writer workfellow thinks it was faked.

Eduardo's astir distressing acquisition connected his travel from Mexico City northbound to the borderline happened successful the authorities of Sonora too, astir 3 hours from Sonoyta.

Again, the autobus was stopped by equipped men. And due to the fact that determination was not capable currency to manus over, 2 Colombian families, including 5 children, were forced disconnected the bus, loaded into a motortruck and driven away.

"We didn't person capable wealth to prevention everyone," says Eduardo, his dependable breaking.

He was present penniless, his $3,000 savings gone. This meant helium couldn't wage a "coyote" oregon radical smuggler successful Sonoyta to get him crossed the borderline illegally into the US.

The autobus operator told Eduardo helium risked being kidnapped if helium stayed there, and dropped him successful San Luis Rio Colorado instead, wherever Eduardo made his mode to the migrant shelter.

Abducted migrants, oregon those who garbage to wage the men with guns, whitethorn look a unspeakable fate. Further westbound on the border, the metropolis of Tijuana has been a jumping disconnected constituent for radical entering the US illegally for decades.

And recently, bodies of migrants person been recovered successful the hills eastbound of the metropolis - changeable successful the head, execution-style. There is speculation they were radical who tried to marque it onto American ungraded without paying a "coyote" oregon the transgression radical that controls that portion of the border.

What is evident is that the cartels person diversified their economical activities to see extortion, kidnap and quality smuggling, says Dr Victor Clark Alfaro, a prof astatine San Diego State University.

"I telephone them 'narco-coyotes' due to the fact that they not lone transverse people, they besides transverse drugs into the US," helium says, adding that migrants tin beryllium forced to instrumentality narcotics with them.

In Tijuana, the infamous Sinaloa cartel controls groups of quality smugglers and truthful does the Jalisco New Generation cartel.

"Violence is 1 of the cardinal elements of organised crime," says Dr Clark. "Violence utilized to power their ain territories, and against innocents."

In San Luis Rio Colorado, Eduardo rested, felt amended and got a section job. But aft his travel from hellhole crossed Mexico, helium chose not to hazard an amerciable crossing into the US with a "coyote".

Instead, helium registered with a free, US authorities online app called CBP One which allows migrants to docket an assignment astatine a US Port of Entry.

If they walk information screening, they whitethorn beryllium paroled into the US and allowed to enactment portion they hold for an migration hearing. This is 1 of the Biden administration's measures designed to dilute the powerfulness of the cartels.

Two things person kept Eduardo focused connected making it to the US. One is his Catholic faith. The other, immoderate precise unwelcome quality from Ecuador astir a friend, who - similar Eduardo - was being extorted by criminals.

Eduardo had wanted the 2 of them to question northbound together. But his person didn't privation to permission household - helium told Eduardo helium would hole things with the gang. He couldn't.

"The men went to my friend's shop. They killed him there," says Eduardo, successful tears. "So, if I'd stayed successful Ecuador… Well, I springiness acknowledgment to God… I've suffered, but I'm inactive alive."

In March, Eduardo entered the US legally.