Anyone driving from Mexico into the United States should take extra care when crossing the border in light of a new smuggling technique being utilized by drug gangs.
In recent months the Sinaloa Federation and the Arellano Felix cartel have taken to using “mulas ciegas” (blind mules) to inadvertently traffic drugs across the Tijuana-San Diego border. There were no cases reported in 2010 or 2011, but the Public Security Agency (SSP) in Tijuana has reported 15 incidents so far this year.
In some cases, drug shipments have been hidden in spare tires or attached with magnets to the underside of vehicles with U.S. licence plates, without the drivers realizing. Those caught trafficking drugs across the border could face up to 20 years in prison, with innocence not always easy to prove in such cases.In other cases the unknowing traffickers are people who have responded to classified ads in newspapers which offer around 100 dollars for transporting parcels, cleaning equipment or furniture into the United States. Applicants are required to have residency in the United States, a clean criminal record and a driving license.
Shipments of drugs are then hidden among the packages, leaving the unsuspecting courier to take the fall if the illicit cargo is discovered. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) found that 11 people were deceived by the newspaper advertisement scam between January 18 and July 6 of this year.