MARIA: WELCOME BACK, WE ARE
COMING TO YOU LIVE THIS MORNING
FROM THE MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL
CONFERENCE IN CALIFORNIA, QUITE
A WEEKEND FOR THIS TEAM, WE
VISITED THE SOUTHERN BORDER AT
EL PASO, TEXAS YESTERDAY, RIDING
ALONG WITH U.S. CUSTOMS AND
BORDER PATROLS ASSISTING CHIEF
BORDER PATROL AGENT JOSE
BORDER PATROL AGENT JOSÉ
MARTI
MARTÍNEZ, HE GAVE ME UP-CLOSE
LOOK AT HOW HE AND FELLOW AGENTS
WORK TO SECURE THE BORDER, WATCH
THIS. SO TELL US A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT WHERE WE ARE GOING RIGHT
NOW?
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO SEE RIGHT
NOW, MORE THAN 11 MILES?
>> 11.4 MILES OF RIVER AND LAND
BORDER.
THIS AREA IS -- BELONGS TO EL
PASO STATION, ONE OF THE
STATIONS.
THIS AREA IS PROBABLY THE
BUSIEST AREAS IN THE COUNTRY
WITH ILLEGAL ENTRIES.
MARIA: WHEN YOU SAY A LOT OF
ACTIVITY, WHAT ARE WE TALKING
ABOUT ON A DAILY BASIS?
>> FOR THE MOST PART SINGLE
ADULTS, USUALLY FROM -- CUBAN,
FAMILY UNITS ARE SOME CUBAN BUT
FOR THE MOST PART THEY ARE
GUATEMALAN, WILL SALVADORIANS,
HONDURENOS, FROM NICARAGUA, THE
NORTHERN TRIANGLE REGION.
MARIA: WHY SO MUCH ACTIVITY FROM
JUST THOSE 3 COUNTRIES, IS THE
WORD OUT THAT IF YOU'RE COMING
FROM THAT REGION, YOU'RE GOING
TO PROBABLY BE ABLE TO STAY?
>> THE WORD IS DEFINITELY OUT.
I MEAN, THEY HAVE ADVERTISEMENTS
BY RADIO, YOU LISTEN TO YOUR
RADIO ON YOUR WAY TO WORK, ON
YOUR WAY TO THE GROCERY STORE
AND THAT COUNTRY IS ADVERTISING,
IF YOU WANT THE AMERICAN DREAM
WE WILL HELP YOU OUT, WE WILL
HELP YOU, TEACH YOU HOW TO GET
IT IN THE UNITED STATES.
MARIA: WHERE ARE THEY GOING, DO
WE KNOW WHERE THEY ARE GOING
ONCE THEY ACTUALLY GET INTO
AMERICA?
>> THEY ARE GOING TO THE -- THE
CITY I SAW THE MOST DALLAS,
HOUSTON, BOSTON, ATLANTA, NEW
YORK, ALL THE BIG METROPOLITAN
AREAS.
THAT'S FINAL DESTINATION.
MARIA: THEY CAN'T BE TRACKED?
>> THAT'S NOT OUR JOB TO DO.
THAT'S ICE'S JOB, I CAN'T
SPECULATE ON THAT OR COMMENT ON
THAT BECAUSE --
MARIA: RIGHT.
>> RIGHT ACROSS THE RIVER THEY
LOOK FOR AN AGENT.
MARIA: THE RIVER IS DRY RIGHT
NOW.
ME
MÉXICO IS RIGHT OVER THERE.
>> YES, MA'AM.
AND THEN OF COURSE THEY RUN UP.
MARIA: WHO IS THIS RUNNING UP
HERE?
>> A FAMILY GROUP THAT JUST
CROSSED.
MARIA: FAMILY CROSSING WHILE WE
ARE RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW?
>> YES.
MARIA: WHERE WHERE.
>> YOU GOING TO GO, WHERE IS
YOUR PLAN, WHERE WERE YOU GOING
TO DO?
[SPEAKING IN SPANISH]
MARIA: DID SOMEBODY TELL YOU IN
HONDURAS THAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO
STAY AND GET TO OKLAHOMA IF YOU
CROSSED?
[SPEAKING IN SPANISH]
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE TOLD HER.
YOU HAVE ANOTHER GROUP OVER
HERE.
THEY WALK AND FIND AGENT.
MARIA: THEY WANT TO SEE YOU
RIGHT NOW?
THEY WANT TO GET APPREHENDED,
THEY WANT TO GET PROCESSED.
>> THEY WANT TO GET PROCESSED
AND GIVEN THE PAPERS.
MARIA: THE GIRLS ARE SCREAMING
AND THEY RAN AND THEY WERE ABLE
TO PREVENT THEM FROM BEING
KIDNAPPED.
THEY ARE BY THEMSELVES.
[SPEAKING IN SPANISH]
MARIA: HOW LONG HAVE THEY BEEN
BY THEMSELVES?
>> 10 YEARS OF AGE.
MARIA: 10 AND 8.
YOU'VE BEEN TRAVELING ALONE FOR
HOW LONG?
[SPEAKING IN SPANISH]
>> OKAY.
THEY WERE TRAVELING, THEIR MOM
SAT THEM DOWN, SHE SAID SHE WILL
GO BUY SOMETHING FOR THEM TO EAT
AND NEVER RETURNED.
MARIA: HOW LONG HAS SHE BEEN
TRAVELING WITH THE BABY?
[SPEAKING IN SPANISH]
>> TWO MONTHS.
MARIA: 2 MONTHS.
[SPEAKING IN SPANISH]
>> THE BABY IS HUNGRY RIGHT NOW
BECAUSE SHE HASN'T EATEN AND SHE
CAN'T PRODUCE ANY BREAST MILK
FOR HER CHILD TO EAT.
MARIA: WHAT DANGER THE KIDS
CONSUMER.
>> UNDOUBTEDLY, MA'AM,
UNDOUBTEDLY.
10 YEARS AND 8 YEARS OF AGE.
MARIA: THE INFANT IS IN MOTHER'S
ARMS.
THE WHOLE AREA WAS BEING
CONTROLLED BY THE DRUG CARTELS?
>> YES.
AS A RESULT YOU HAVE CHILDREN
COMING OUT, GOES DOWN 4 FEET,
18 FEET HIGH.
INSIDE IT'S USUALLY HOLLOW.
WE FILL IT UP WITH CONCRETE.
THERE'S NOTHING HALLOW.
COMPLETELY SOLID.
MARIA: DRUG CARTELS IN MEXICANO
EXACTLY THE BORDER, KNOW EXACTLY
THE VULNERABILITIES?
>> YES.
MARIA: THAT'S IT, THEY JUST
KNOW.
>> OF COURSE, THEY ARE THE ONES
THAT ARE WINNING THIS.
MARIA: WHAT DO YOU SAY WHEN YOU
HEAR IN THE MEDIA, THIS
ADMINISTRATION, THE BORDER
CONTROL, ICE, PUTTING KIDS IN
CAGES, THEY ARE LOOKING PEOPLE
UP, THESE ARE HUMANITARIAN
CRISES, WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THEM?
>> I SAY FIRST I'M A FATHER, I'M
A FATHER OF 2 CHILDREN, I GO
HOME WITH MY HEAD HELD HIGH, ALL
I CAN DO IS DO MY JOB AND DO IT
TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY AND