Cartels Use 'Carpet Shoes' to Evade Border Patrol, Deterrence Measures Increase

New Deterrence Tactics at the Border

• 👟 Cartels are employing "carpet shoes" to help migrants conceal their footprints and evade detection when crossing the border illegally.
• 💡 This tactic, often obtained from cartels with camouflage outfits, aims to make tracking migrants more difficult.
• ⚠️ Individuals caught using these carpet shoes face new criminal charges and potential prosecution with up to two years imprisonment.

Increased Consequences and Patrols

• 🎯 The Del Rio sector is implementing a high-visibility posture with increased patrols and stricter consequences to deter illegal crossings.
• 🚫 The goal is to achieve zero crossings along the river.
• ✈️ Instead of being returned to the border, apprehended individuals are now sent hundreds of miles away into the interior of Mexico or their native countries, making repeat attempts less likely.

Effectiveness of New Measures

• 🗣️ Word of the increased consequences and remote repatriations is spreading quickly among migrants.
• 📉 This has led to a significant drop in crossings in the Del Rio sector, averaging about 25 per day.
• 🏠 Many repatriated individuals are choosing not to attempt the journey again due to the difficulties and consequences.

Border Wall Construction

• 🚧 While the Trump administration approved seven more miles of wall, construction is currently focused on the Rio Grand Valley, a higher-traffic area.
• 🏗️ In the Del Rio sector, the existing wall is fragmented, and there are ongoing conversations but no immediate plans to restart construction.