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Smugglers go high-tech to get drugs across border
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The idea to build a multi-billion dollar fence along the border with Mexico to keep out drug traffickers and stop illegal immigration seemed to many a good idea at the time.
Now it seems a waste of money. An anonymous source says "build a 10 foot fence and we will get 15 foot ladder".
Drug smugglers have proven to be very creative in their determination to cross drugs into the U.S. from the Mexican border. Using high-tech ideas such as retractable ramps that form a bridge up and over the barrier walls, ultra-light planes to make the drops, and backpackers called "mules" are among the arsenal used to circumvent the deterrents used by Border Patrol and DEA.
The ability of the U.S. to stop the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S. is a difficult if not impossible job. The best we can do is to make it harder and more costly for the smugglers.
The 600 mile border fence has cost $ 2.4 billion dollars since 2005. Border Patrol Agents were increased from 12,000 to 20,000 in 2006 and Customs was given 8.1 billion in funding in 2008. Still the flow continues. Enough drugs get through to supply 20 million users in the U.S.
When agents get wise to one method, the smugglers use another. When agents take control of one border section the smugglers simply move to another more vunerable one.
It has become a war of technology and the winner will be the one whose technology is the best.
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