Iraqis being smuggled into US from Mexico
For the last year, two issues have dominated opinion polls: the war and immigration. Now for the first time, the two areas of concern are affecting one another. Mexican rings are bringing the Iraq war onto our soil:
The FBI is investigating an alleged human smuggling operation based inChaparral, N.M., that agents say is bringing "Iraqis and other MiddleEastern" individuals across the Rio Grande from Mexico.
An FBI intelligence report distributed by the Washington, D.C. JointTerrorism Task Force, obtained by the Blotter on ABCNews.com, says theillegal ring has been bringing Iraqis across the border illegally formore than a year.
Smuggling organizations are making a boatload of money as a result:
The FBI report, issued last week, says the smuggling organization "usedto smuggle Mexicans, but decided to smuggle Iraqi or other MiddleEastern individuals because it was more lucrative." Each individualwould be charged a fee of $20,000 to $25,000, according to the report.
So this probably answers the question of whether these are refugees or terrorists being smuggled in. It is highly unlikely that refugees have the resources to pay the $20,000 per person fee.
Yet another example of how the war in Iraq has made our country less safe.
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