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00:00:11,512 --> 00:00:12,846
There
are hundreds of people here.
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Everywhere you look.
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00:00:14,014 --> 00:00:15,557
You just see groups
of people waiting.
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They're sitting with backpack.
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This was me,
nearly 20 years ago
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on one of my first
international assignments.
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Maria!
I don't believe it!
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00:00:26,485 --> 00:00:28,195
How good. How are you?
9
00:00:30,489 --> 00:00:31,657
.
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00:00:31,990 --> 00:00:33,575
I was
doing a story about migrants
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00:00:33,575 --> 00:00:36,119
trying to make their way
across Mexico and into
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00:00:36,119 --> 00:00:38,038
the United States.
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00:00:38,038 --> 00:00:41,250
The starting point for
that journey was Tapachula.
14
00:00:41,625 --> 00:00:44,378
A chaotic little town on
Mexico's southern border,
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where migrants hopped
on board "La Bestia."
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00:00:51,635 --> 00:00:54,638
La Bestia, or "The Beast,"
is what migrants called the
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00:00:54,638 --> 00:00:58,558
dangerous freight trains they
rode north for days on end.
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The train keeps on jerking.
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So, you, you have to keep a
constant grip on the train,
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00:01:02,104 --> 00:01:03,480
and it's hard.
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Back then, all you needed to
reach the border was courage.
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These days, I'm told you
need a whole lot more.
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Wow, this is so crazy.
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00:01:18,745 --> 00:01:20,455
This looks nothing
like it used to.
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00:01:20,455 --> 00:01:22,332
This was the main train
station, so you'd have
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00:01:22,332 --> 00:01:24,835
hundreds of migrants here
every single day, basically
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00:01:24,835 --> 00:01:27,296
just hoping to get on
the train to go north.
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00:01:27,296 --> 00:01:30,424
The train tracks are no longer
here, but the migrants,
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00:01:30,424 --> 00:01:31,758
they still keep coming.
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00:01:31,758 --> 00:01:33,594
They have to come
through this, this area.
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Tapachula is still the
first stop in Mexico for
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00:01:36,054 --> 00:01:38,223
thousands of migrants,
33
00:01:38,223 --> 00:01:40,726
but the path north to the
U.S. is now controlled
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00:01:40,726 --> 00:01:43,729
by a violent
criminal underworld.
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00:01:44,021 --> 00:01:46,231
There's a new beast in town.
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That's why I've come back.
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To try to get inside the most
profitable migrant smuggling
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00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:03,623
machine the
world has ever seen.
39
00:02:33,028 --> 00:02:36,323
So, this is
the central square in Tapachula.
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00:02:36,323 --> 00:02:38,408
The vast majority of the
people that line up,
41
00:02:38,408 --> 00:02:41,495
that are around here at
the square, are migrants.
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00:02:41,495 --> 00:02:45,540
They all have backpacks,
they have bags.
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00:02:46,333 --> 00:02:49,086
There are so many, it's crazy.
44
00:03:30,710 --> 00:03:32,504
Years ago,
migrants like these would
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00:03:32,504 --> 00:03:35,882
hop ride on the train
and continue north.
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00:03:35,882 --> 00:03:39,094
But free rides are apparently
no longer an option.
47
00:03:42,180 --> 00:03:43,557
But what
happens to the migrants
48
00:03:43,557 --> 00:03:45,308
who do have money?
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00:03:45,308 --> 00:03:47,894
What exactly are
they buying into?
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00:03:47,894 --> 00:03:50,564
That's what I want
to understand,
51
00:03:51,356 --> 00:03:53,233
which is why I'm heading
to meet a man
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00:03:53,233 --> 00:03:55,485
I'm told is one of
the key players
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00:03:55,485 --> 00:03:58,655
in this new
people-smuggling pipeline.
54
00:03:58,655 --> 00:04:01,366
I've been hearing about
this guy for over a year now.
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00:04:01,366 --> 00:04:02,868
There were a lot of times
where we thought we were gonna
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00:04:02,868 --> 00:04:05,120
finally meet him, a
lot of false starts.
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00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:08,123
It never happened
until, hopefully, today.
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00:04:08,123 --> 00:04:11,334
This is a big boss in
this sort of operation.
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00:04:19,426 --> 00:04:22,471
I think we're here.
60
00:04:23,138 --> 00:04:25,766
Let me know if you
guys see anyone.
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00:04:30,395 --> 00:04:32,272
Oh, yeah. Okay.
I see him.
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00:04:32,272 --> 00:04:34,649
I think that's him, yeah.
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00:05:35,001 --> 00:05:36,962
We're
calling him Jose, but his
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00:05:36,962 --> 00:05:40,215
nickname on the street
is "King Coyote",
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00:05:40,215 --> 00:05:43,301
coyote being slang for
a migrant smuggler.
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00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:47,472
He works mostly with migrants
from South and Central America,
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00:05:47,472 --> 00:05:50,892
but has clients
from as far away as India.
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00:05:54,771 --> 00:05:55,647
Uh-huh.
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00:06:40,233 --> 00:06:41,776
I've been
reporting on the underworld
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00:06:41,776 --> 00:06:43,737
for nearly two decades.
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00:06:43,737 --> 00:06:46,781
This is the first time a
black market operator has
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00:06:46,781 --> 00:06:49,576
referred me to their
finance department.
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00:07:36,623 --> 00:07:38,541
I was
certain that no one is making
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00:07:38,541 --> 00:07:42,045
that kind of money smuggling
anything in Mexico without,
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00:07:42,045 --> 00:07:44,923
what you might call,
"permission."
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00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:18,415
Wow.
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00:08:32,846 --> 00:08:34,389
From
the cartels' perspective,
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00:08:34,389 --> 00:08:37,600
I understand the logic
of this new system.
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00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:40,478
By allowing these transport
companies to exist,
80
00:08:40,478 --> 00:08:43,314
it professionalized the
business of people smuggling,
81
00:08:43,314 --> 00:08:46,943
making it more efficient
and more lucrative.
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00:09:33,072 --> 00:09:35,033
I had my
doubts about the rosy picture
83
00:09:35,033 --> 00:09:39,120
he's painting of his operation,
but I'm eager to learn more.
84
00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:42,290
And he agrees to connect me
with one of his smugglers.
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00:09:42,290 --> 00:09:44,876
A man responsible for
transporting migrants from
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00:09:44,876 --> 00:09:48,379
Tapachula, north
towards Mexico city.
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00:09:49,047 --> 00:09:51,341
We're heading to meet
this contact and he's been
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00:09:51,341 --> 00:09:53,593
incredibly
nervous to talk to us.
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00:09:53,593 --> 00:09:56,554
And he's very suspicious
still, so we just,
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00:09:56,554 --> 00:09:58,640
for all of our sake,
just, you know,
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00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:01,935
make him feel as
comfortable as possible.
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00:10:02,769 --> 00:10:03,895
I see him over there.
93
00:10:04,270 --> 00:10:06,689
So, just put the cameras down
for a second and we can
94
00:10:06,689 --> 00:10:08,858
pick back up when
he's inside the car.
95
00:10:08,858 --> 00:10:11,152
Camera down.
96
00:10:11,152 --> 00:10:13,655
Sure enough, he
doesn't want to talk.
97
00:10:13,655 --> 00:10:16,699
I have to practically beg
him to get into the car.
98
00:10:16,699 --> 00:10:19,369
But he finally does.
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00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:25,834
I'm eager to hear what it's
like on the frontlines
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00:10:25,834 --> 00:10:27,669
of the people
smuggling business.
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00:10:50,108 --> 00:10:52,443
This man,
who we'll call Ernesto,
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00:10:52,443 --> 00:10:54,988
is part of a new breed
of transport company
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00:10:54,988 --> 00:10:58,116
making millions shuttling
migrants across Mexico
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00:10:58,116 --> 00:11:00,076
and into to the U.S.
105
00:11:12,338 --> 00:11:14,048
From there,
he drives them north
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00:11:14,048 --> 00:11:15,174
towards Mexico City.
107
00:11:43,745 --> 00:11:45,455
It's a bit shocking.
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00:11:45,455 --> 00:11:48,166
His boss, King Coyote,
told me they charge
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12 grand per person,
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00:11:49,876 --> 00:11:53,504
which seems like a lot
for such inhumane treatment.
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00:12:19,030 --> 00:12:20,782
Like his
boss, he's quick to
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00:12:20,782 --> 00:12:22,200
justify their approach.
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00:12:52,021 --> 00:12:54,107
I'm
doubtful about that, but
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00:12:54,107 --> 00:12:57,026
I don't press him because
I want to keep him talking.
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00:14:20,359 --> 00:14:21,944
This
description of the cartels'
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00:14:21,944 --> 00:14:23,863
involvement sounds
more threatening than
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00:14:23,863 --> 00:14:25,907
King Coyote's version.
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00:14:25,907 --> 00:14:27,909
I want to hear more,
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00:14:27,909 --> 00:14:31,287
but I think talk of the
cartels has spooked him.
120
00:14:31,287 --> 00:14:35,291
He cuts our interview short,
after less than 20 minutes.
121
00:14:37,001 --> 00:14:39,629
Okay, so we just
dropped off Ernesto.
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00:14:39,629 --> 00:14:42,131
The interesting thing that we
weren't able to film is that
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00:14:42,131 --> 00:14:44,050
his wife was actually
in the back seat
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00:14:44,050 --> 00:14:45,635
in-between the two cameras.
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00:14:45,635 --> 00:14:47,345
Apparently, they discussed and
the only way that he'd feel
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00:14:47,345 --> 00:14:50,389
comfortable talking to us was
if she was present, as well.
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00:14:50,389 --> 00:14:52,809
So, that was interesting.
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00:14:56,646 --> 00:14:59,065
These are the trucks
that he says they actually
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00:14:59,065 --> 00:15:01,150
transport people in.
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00:15:01,150 --> 00:15:03,528
That's exactly it.
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00:15:03,528 --> 00:15:05,363
You know, it's really hard
with these interviews,
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00:15:05,363 --> 00:15:07,198
we were trying to make him
comfortable, but it's always
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00:15:07,198 --> 00:15:11,035
sort of a balance of how much
you push and pushing too much
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00:15:11,035 --> 00:15:12,912
will mean we'll lose access.
135
00:15:12,912 --> 00:15:14,705
So, we're hoping that we can
ask more questions and see
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00:15:14,705 --> 00:15:18,584
more of the operation
in the following days.
137
00:15:22,964 --> 00:15:27,260
But more access to King Coyote's
operation never arrives.
138
00:15:28,427 --> 00:15:32,223
So, we're stuck chasing access
to other people-smugglers.
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00:15:32,223 --> 00:15:35,852
Some with a very
different pitch to migrants.
140
00:15:36,144 --> 00:15:38,229
We're heading to meet a guy,
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00:15:38,229 --> 00:15:41,816
sort of involved in
the migrant trade.
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00:15:41,816 --> 00:15:43,442
There's a boat apparently
waiting for us
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00:15:43,442 --> 00:15:45,069
to take us to him.
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00:15:45,069 --> 00:15:47,905
And they just told us to, you
know, have our eyes wide open,
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00:15:47,905 --> 00:15:50,867
ears wide open in this area
because there is a lot of
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00:15:50,867 --> 00:15:53,077
cartel presence here.
147
00:16:09,343 --> 00:16:11,846
Okay. I see. Yeah.
148
00:16:11,846 --> 00:16:15,099
There's a boat
coming this way.
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00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:20,813
He's, uh, yeah, he's
coming right towards us.
150
00:16:23,399 --> 00:16:27,195
Yeah, so he's, uh, our guy is
the guy wearing the mask and
151
00:16:27,195 --> 00:16:30,114
there's a bunch of
people on the boat.
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00:16:35,453 --> 00:16:36,579
It's a little awkward,
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00:16:36,579 --> 00:16:38,247
he's not saying anything.
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00:16:38,247 --> 00:16:40,875
From the looks of things,
we're wading right into the
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00:16:40,875 --> 00:16:43,377
middle of his business.
156
00:16:56,390 --> 00:16:58,351
I'm in
Southern Mexico talking to a
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00:16:58,351 --> 00:17:01,354
smuggler who's asked
us to call him Pantera.
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00:17:43,479 --> 00:17:45,856
Despite
the cartels being paid off,
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00:17:45,856 --> 00:17:49,819
these boats must run a
gauntlet of armed opportunists.
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00:18:07,461 --> 00:18:08,004
Uh-hmm.
161
00:19:36,717 --> 00:19:37,968
Her
entire life's savings,
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00:19:37,968 --> 00:19:40,596
spent on a gamble,
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00:19:40,596 --> 00:19:43,557
that this little boat will
make it to its destination.
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00:20:02,034 --> 00:20:04,036
Just like
those who travel by road, the
165
00:20:04,036 --> 00:20:06,872
boat will take these migrants
north before they are shuttled
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00:20:06,872 --> 00:20:08,958
to Mexico City.
167
00:20:08,958 --> 00:20:11,961
From there, they are stuffed
like any other product into
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00:20:11,961 --> 00:20:15,214
18-wheelers, for a
drive to the U.S. border
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00:20:15,214 --> 00:20:17,049
that could take
up to two days.
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00:20:17,049 --> 00:20:19,427
It's a leg of the journey
that has become synonymous
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00:20:19,427 --> 00:20:21,220
with tragedy.
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00:20:21,595 --> 00:20:24,056
They have found
50 migrants dead inside a
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00:20:24,056 --> 00:20:28,060
truck in San Antonio, what
they now believe to be one of
174
00:20:28,060 --> 00:20:31,605
the deadliest smuggling
incidents in U.S. history.
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00:20:31,605 --> 00:20:33,190
These
migrants sell everything they
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00:20:33,190 --> 00:20:36,777
own for the chance to make it
to the U.S., and this is how
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00:20:36,777 --> 00:20:39,196
they're treated along the way.
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00:21:34,168 --> 00:21:37,755
.
179
00:21:37,755 --> 00:21:38,923
Uh-hm okay,
they're saying they have to go,
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00:21:38,923 --> 00:21:40,216
because the sun is going down.
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00:21:40,216 --> 00:21:41,383
They have to
start their journey.
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00:21:48,682 --> 00:21:50,226
What's
becoming clear is that the
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00:21:50,226 --> 00:21:53,187
people doing the actual work
of smuggling migrants,
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00:21:53,187 --> 00:21:56,649
people like Pantera and the
transporter I met in the car,
185
00:21:56,649 --> 00:22:00,569
know the details of their job,
but not much more.
186
00:22:00,569 --> 00:22:03,697
It's only bosses like
King Coyote that are familiar
187
00:22:03,697 --> 00:22:07,243
with the actual terms
of this ugly business.
188
00:22:29,014 --> 00:22:30,975
Thinking
back to our conversation,
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00:22:30,975 --> 00:22:33,477
what's still unclear is this,
190
00:22:33,477 --> 00:22:35,771
even if companies
like King Coyote's,
191
00:22:35,771 --> 00:22:38,107
have learned how
to work with the cartels,
192
00:22:38,107 --> 00:22:41,110
how could they possibly
move thousands of migrants
193
00:22:41,110 --> 00:22:43,070
past so many police?
194
00:22:55,374 --> 00:22:57,626
So this guy
we're meeting is very nervous.
195
00:22:57,626 --> 00:23:01,046
We were supposed to meet
him at a train station.
196
00:23:01,046 --> 00:23:03,632
He's moved locations on
us a few times already.
197
00:23:03,632 --> 00:23:06,010
And it's understandable
why he's nervous.
198
00:23:06,010 --> 00:23:07,595
He's essentially a whistleblower
who's going to be
199
00:23:07,595 --> 00:23:11,181
talking to us about corruption
within the government.
200
00:24:15,245 --> 00:24:16,997
I'm talking
to a federal immigration agent
201
00:24:16,997 --> 00:24:19,958
turned whistleblower,
who we'll call Miguel.
202
00:24:20,376 --> 00:24:23,587
He says it works like this,
on every route north,
203
00:24:23,587 --> 00:24:25,839
there are dozens of checkpoints.
204
00:24:25,839 --> 00:24:28,467
Migrants who have hired a
cartel-approved company like
205
00:24:28,467 --> 00:24:31,095
King Coyote's, are
able to pass through
206
00:24:31,095 --> 00:24:33,555
without getting hassled.
207
00:24:33,555 --> 00:24:36,600
That's part of what
their $12,000 ensures.
208
00:25:03,085 --> 00:25:04,628
On
the other hand, migrants
209
00:25:04,628 --> 00:25:07,214
attempting the journey on
their own, like the Venezuelan
210
00:25:07,214 --> 00:25:11,218
family I met in Tapachula, are
forced to pay small bribes at
211
00:25:11,218 --> 00:25:13,846
every checkpoint
along the way.
212
00:25:25,441 --> 00:25:27,443
It's a
system designed to maximize
213
00:25:27,443 --> 00:25:31,488
the exploitation of desperate
people, while simultaneously
214
00:25:31,488 --> 00:25:36,201
enriching both the cartels and
corrupt government officials.
215
00:25:47,171 --> 00:25:48,881
Sadly,
this sort of collusion
216
00:25:48,881 --> 00:25:52,551
between the cartels and
the Mexican State isn't new.
217
00:25:52,926 --> 00:25:55,471
Caught on tape,
Mexican police apparently
218
00:25:55,471 --> 00:25:57,598
carrying out
orders for gangsters.
219
00:25:57,890 --> 00:25:59,183
It's
been a problem in Mexico
220
00:25:59,183 --> 00:26:00,601
for decades now.
221
00:26:00,601 --> 00:26:02,853
So much so, that just this year,
222
00:26:02,853 --> 00:26:05,064
Mexico's former head
of public security
223
00:26:05,064 --> 00:26:08,484
was found guilty of
drug trafficking.
224
00:26:08,484 --> 00:26:11,361
This is the type of power
that the cartels wield
225
00:26:11,361 --> 00:26:12,738
throughout the country.
226
00:27:28,814 --> 00:27:29,648
Uh-hmm.
227
00:28:26,079 --> 00:28:27,664
The immigration officer's
228
00:28:27,664 --> 00:28:31,877
accusations hang in the air
as I head towards the border.
229
00:28:32,294 --> 00:28:34,463
The stories the
Venezuelans told me
230
00:28:34,463 --> 00:28:36,506
suddenly make much more sense.
231
00:28:59,863 --> 00:29:02,407
I've kept
in touch with the Venezuelans.
232
00:29:02,407 --> 00:29:04,701
And the last I've heard, they
were able to slip past the
233
00:29:04,701 --> 00:29:08,664
authorities and hitch a ride
north on one of the trains.
234
00:29:09,206 --> 00:29:12,376
Riding La Bestia is
apparently still an option,
235
00:29:12,376 --> 00:29:14,252
but much less common.
236
00:29:14,252 --> 00:29:17,089
Which makes sense, considering
all the vested interests
237
00:29:17,089 --> 00:29:18,757
in the new system.
238
00:29:41,738 --> 00:29:43,824
After
almost two weeks on the road,
239
00:29:43,824 --> 00:29:46,827
I finally arrived at
Mexico's northern border.
240
00:30:00,465 --> 00:30:03,343
It's the last leg of the journey
and we've gained access
241
00:30:03,343 --> 00:30:06,013
to yet another
transport company,
242
00:30:06,013 --> 00:30:08,724
run by a rival of King Coyote's,
243
00:30:08,724 --> 00:30:11,977
a man who calls himself Zorro.
244
00:30:11,977 --> 00:30:13,520
So, we got a call from Zorro.
245
00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:15,981
Apparently, there's a
group of a few migrants
246
00:30:15,981 --> 00:30:17,858
that have just arrived.
247
00:30:17,858 --> 00:30:20,318
They're going to cross
to the U.S. soon.
248
00:30:20,318 --> 00:30:23,697
And he's given us this address
for this stash house where the
249
00:30:23,697 --> 00:30:26,742
migrants are staying
before they cross the border
250
00:30:30,579 --> 00:30:34,082
.
251
00:30:34,082 --> 00:30:35,292
Okay.
Around the corner.
252
00:30:35,292 --> 00:30:36,668
It's around the corner
from here. Okay.
253
00:30:36,668 --> 00:30:37,711
Walkie-talkies down.
254
00:30:38,045 --> 00:30:39,379
Walkie-talkies and cameras down.
255
00:30:39,379 --> 00:30:40,380
And camera down.
Let's do it quickly.
256
00:30:40,672 --> 00:30:42,007
Yeah.
So get out? Okay.
257
00:30:42,007 --> 00:30:43,967
So they're saying right now.
258
00:30:54,061 --> 00:30:58,273
.
259
00:32:11,012 --> 00:32:12,556
We're
witnessing one of the last
260
00:32:12,556 --> 00:32:15,642
hurdles for migrants on this
side of the border,
261
00:32:15,642 --> 00:32:18,603
the final payment
before crossing,
262
00:32:18,603 --> 00:32:20,814
which is split between
the transport company
263
00:32:20,814 --> 00:32:22,357
and the cartel.
264
00:33:07,360 --> 00:33:08,028
Uh-hmm.
265
00:34:18,390 --> 00:34:20,141
Um...
266
00:34:21,393 --> 00:34:23,561
He says he's going to make
a phone call to his family,
267
00:34:23,561 --> 00:34:26,106
because he's the only
one who hasn't paid yet.
268
00:34:26,106 --> 00:34:30,068
And, uh, he wants to ask them
when the money is coming in.
269
00:35:47,479 --> 00:35:50,398
The subtext
of that last bit was chilling,
270
00:35:50,398 --> 00:35:52,859
but also easy to miss,
271
00:35:52,859 --> 00:35:57,364
"I want my brother here.
We want him here with family."
272
00:35:57,364 --> 00:36:00,367
In other words,
please don't hurt him.
273
00:37:19,112 --> 00:37:21,364
I'm in a
stash house in northern Mexico,
274
00:37:21,364 --> 00:37:23,283
not far from the border,
275
00:37:23,283 --> 00:37:25,869
where migrants are
held captive until
276
00:37:25,869 --> 00:37:28,079
their payment is delivered.
277
00:38:13,750 --> 00:38:16,002
We depart.
278
00:38:16,002 --> 00:38:19,130
According to King Coyote,
these sorts of confrontations
279
00:38:19,130 --> 00:38:22,008
are common on both
sides of the border.
280
00:39:18,022 --> 00:39:20,191
Despite
the thinly veiled threats,
281
00:39:20,191 --> 00:39:23,653
I'm told that later that evening
Angel's sister came through
282
00:39:23,653 --> 00:39:25,363
with the money.
283
00:39:25,363 --> 00:39:28,366
He'll be crossing with the
others in the coming days.
284
00:39:29,284 --> 00:39:32,996
.
285
00:39:33,538 --> 00:39:34,956
The next morning, I meet up
286
00:39:34,956 --> 00:39:36,666
with Zorro again.
287
00:39:36,666 --> 00:39:39,419
He's transporting a different
group across the border;
288
00:39:39,419 --> 00:39:42,922
migrants who've
already paid their part.
289
00:39:45,174 --> 00:39:48,303
Super tight quarters here,
we have a driver.
290
00:39:48,303 --> 00:39:51,806
Zorro sitting next to me
here too in the front row.
291
00:39:51,806 --> 00:39:55,393
And then four migrants are
in the back of the truck.
292
00:39:55,393 --> 00:39:58,146
Uh, we are heading to the
drop off point, it's about
293
00:39:58,146 --> 00:40:01,274
a 20-minute drive, where
everyone will get out of the
294
00:40:01,274 --> 00:40:04,652
car and the journey across
the desert starts for them.
295
00:40:23,755 --> 00:40:25,256
The
migrants slip through a
296
00:40:25,256 --> 00:40:28,593
rickety barbed wire
fence and begin walking.
297
00:40:30,970 --> 00:40:34,265
But once they cross, they'll
face another one to three days
298
00:40:34,265 --> 00:40:37,602
of hiking through the Sonoran
desert, until they reach
299
00:40:37,602 --> 00:40:39,854
their pickup location.
300
00:41:34,117 --> 00:41:35,743
As for
what happens to migrants on
301
00:41:35,743 --> 00:41:37,787
the other side of the border.
302
00:41:37,787 --> 00:41:39,914
You don't have
to look too hard.
303
00:41:42,709 --> 00:41:45,920
Even TikTok provides clues.
304
00:41:46,671 --> 00:41:48,840
Black market transport
companies post ads
305
00:41:48,840 --> 00:41:50,758
recruiting drivers.
306
00:41:51,300 --> 00:41:54,262
They're looking for Americans
willing to shuttle migrants
307
00:41:54,262 --> 00:41:56,973
from the border into
urban centers,
308
00:41:56,973 --> 00:41:59,183
where they can
effectively disappear.
309
00:42:00,101 --> 00:42:02,895
Drivers make thousands
of dollars per trip,
310
00:42:02,895 --> 00:42:05,940
if they can make it past
U.S. Law enforcement.
311
00:42:07,900 --> 00:42:10,153
What we're trying to
do is position ourselves
312
00:42:10,153 --> 00:42:11,738
at choke points.
313
00:42:11,738 --> 00:42:14,532
I'm, uh, right here
at Pearce and 191.
314
00:42:15,867 --> 00:42:18,369
Where we believe that they're
going to have to come through
315
00:42:18,369 --> 00:42:22,248
us in order to get to
their final destination.
316
00:42:22,540 --> 00:42:23,541
We
spent one night with the
317
00:42:23,791 --> 00:42:26,544
Cochise County, Arizona
sheriff's department.
318
00:42:26,544 --> 00:42:29,630
And witnessed the
chaos firsthand.
319
00:42:29,630 --> 00:42:33,509
He's gonna run.
We are northbound.
320
00:42:38,014 --> 00:42:41,350
Driver, step out of the
vehicle and face away from me!
321
00:42:42,518 --> 00:42:44,312
Be advised, as soon as
I activated my lights,
322
00:42:44,312 --> 00:42:46,481
the vehicle is not stopping.
323
00:42:50,651 --> 00:42:54,280
Driver, stick your
hands out the window!
324
00:42:54,280 --> 00:42:55,990
Put your hands
behind your back.
325
00:42:55,990 --> 00:42:57,992
How many more do you
got inside the car?
326
00:43:00,912 --> 00:43:02,705
These
arrests may seem like a win
327
00:43:02,705 --> 00:43:04,248
for law enforcement.
328
00:43:04,248 --> 00:43:05,458
You have the
right to remain silent.
329
00:43:05,750 --> 00:43:07,043
Anything that you say can and
will be used against you
330
00:43:07,043 --> 00:43:08,086
in the court of law.
331
00:43:08,669 --> 00:43:10,171
You have the right to talk to a
lawyer and have them present...
332
00:43:10,171 --> 00:43:12,048
But the
reality is that each year,
333
00:43:12,048 --> 00:43:14,217
thousands of
migrants get through.
334
00:43:14,217 --> 00:43:17,386
And the ones who don't
will often try again.
335
00:43:20,556 --> 00:43:22,141
In a nutshell,
336
00:43:22,141 --> 00:43:25,353
that's why the people-smuggling
business is booming.
337
00:43:26,395 --> 00:43:29,941
Because for the world's
most vulnerable people,
338
00:43:29,941 --> 00:43:32,193
the dream of living in America
339
00:43:32,193 --> 00:43:36,114
is only available on
the black market.
340
00:43:40,743 --> 00:43:42,245
In case you're wondering,
341
00:43:42,245 --> 00:43:44,122
the Venezuelan
migrants I spoke with
342
00:43:44,122 --> 00:43:47,500
crossed the border
in May of 2023,
343
00:43:47,500 --> 00:43:50,920
after an eight-month journey
through seven countries.
344
00:43:52,213 --> 00:43:54,549
They surrendered to
authorities in Texas and
345
00:43:54,549 --> 00:43:56,175
are currently living in the U.S.
346
00:43:56,175 --> 00:43:58,928
And awaiting an asylum
hearing, along with nearly
347
00:43:58,928 --> 00:44:02,348
1.6 million others.
348
00:44:02,348 --> 00:44:03,766
Captioned by
Cotter Media Group.