Washington.- The United States Government announced this Tuesday that it will intensify its fight against human trafficking in the inhospitable Darien jungle between Colombia and Panama, one of the routes used by migrants to try to reach the North American country, according to published information. by the Agence France-Presse news agency.
The US Departments of Justice and Interior reported that they will extend to this vast jungle, 266 km long and 575 thousand hectares, a unit specialized in combating human trafficking created in 2021 and that has operated in Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico.
“With today’s announcement, we are extending our law enforcement efforts to the Darien – one of the most dangerous migrant crossings in the world – and deploying reward programs like those that have brought down drug lords to go after those traffickers,” said US Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, quoted in a statement.
“To those who traffic people through the Darien, know this: the United States government is going to come after you.”
At the same time, the State Department announced that it will offer up to $8 million for any information that leads to the capture of traffickers in the Darien, particularly the leaders of the Clan del Golfo drug organization.
inhospitable jungle
The Darién, a thick jungle plug on the border between Colombia and Panama, has become in recent years a corridor for migrants from South America trying to reach the United States through Central America and Mexico.
In 2023, more than 520,000 people crossed that region, despite facing dangers such as wild animals, raging rivers, and criminal gangs that assault, rape, and kill migrants.
Until last May, more than 150,000 migrants had crossed that route in 2024, according to Panamanian immigration authorities. The majority are Venezuelans, as well as Haitians, Ecuadorians and Colombians. There are also Asians, mainly Chinese, and Africans.
The elected president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, who is due to take office on July 1, has promised to “close” the Darién and deport migrants who enter the country through that jungle, but the construction of a wall is ruled out.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported in mid-May that more than 30,000 migrant children had crossed that inhospitable jungle in the first four months of 2024, which represents an increase of 40 percent compared to the same period. from the previous year.
It is estimated that about 2.8 million undocumented migrants enter the United States each year.
In the middle of the US election year, immigration has become a key campaign issue, with Republican candidate Donald Trump criticizing his rival, President and Democrat Joe Biden, for encouraging an “invasion” of migrants.
With information from AFP.
#strengthen #fight #migrant #trafficking #Darién
