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ISIS Could Use Drug Smuggling Routes to Infiltrate U.S.
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ISIS is actively recruiting both nationally and overseas and the U.S. military fears the terrorist group may utilize established drug routes in Central and South America to cross our boarders.
Criminal organizations in Central and South America have been using drug routes to smuggle contraband across the border for years. According to top leaders in the U.S. military, ISIS has been working with these organizations to capitalize on their routes, and while there is currently no indication that ISIS plans to use their fighters to attack the U.S., the fact that they could enter our country through these means is of great concern.
Thus far, federal agents have been relatively successful in protecting our borders from drug smugglers, but ISIS could easily use the many ocean routes to enter the U.S., most of which are not adequately covered by the Coast Guard.
This is evidenced by the disposable submarines used by the guerrilla drug smuggling organization FARC. The submarines transport up to eight tons of illicit cargo across the ocean at a time and are intentionally sunk once they reach their destination, leaving the U.S. military scrambling to track them.
“This was designed to move cocaine,” said Navy Adm. Hernando Wills Velez, commander of the Colombian armada. “These kind of artifacts can be used for whoever knows—weapons of mass destruction, illegal trafficking of migration, et cetera.”
U.S. Coast Guard Vice Adm. Charles Michel, deputy commandant for operations, said the over 1,000 mile range of these submarines pose a great security risk to locations like Mexico and even West Palm Beach, Fla., and fears our government may not be able to stop them.
“This is completely outside the bounds of any government control,” said Michel. “There are vulnerabilities and pathways down there. They’re well-trodden by narco traffickers, human smugglers, any other types of people who operate in that area. Sometimes with impunity or even with corrupt government cover.”
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Brent McCluskey is a Social Media Editor at International Business Times as well as a Jedi with Sith tendencies. He is also a reader of books, slayer of dragons, and level 80 mage.
“Yeah, I have a broad skill set. If I had to pick between being a Divergent or a wizard, I'd pick a wizard.” His wizardness can be found on Twitter and Linkedin.
