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Mexico's Role in Border Security

<p>Border Patrol, Rio Grande Valley, Texas</p>

Fronton, Texas, USA - February 9, 2016: A Border Patrol agent removes handcuffs from a young Central American being taken into custody for illegally entering the United States by crossing the Rio Grande River in deep south Texas. Young Central Americans, most fleeing gang violence and poverty, continue to illegally enter the U.S. at near record levels.

The Cipher Brief is taking a look this week at the national security situation along the southern border.  On Sunday, Congressman Will Hurd told NBC, “We need to make sure that countering human smuggling is a national intelligence priority so that we have CIA, the NSA, the FBI working with our allies in those countries to stop root causes there”.

Mexican officials have taken recent steps to help curb the flow of illegal immigrants in light of the overwhelming numbers of refugees that have been crossing into the U.S. in recent months by reinforcing their southern and northern borders and sending additional troops to support U.S. efforts to stop the flow of illegal immigrants. In the meantime, experts tell us that criminals, gang members, narcotics traffickers and human smugglers are exploiting the weaknesses within Customs and Border Protection due to a manpower diversion.  CBP reports apprehending more than 99,000 in April and more 132,887 in May. 

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