‘Se Busca Información’ Campaign Targets Human Smugglers
WASHINGTON, D.C (News Release) - The United States and Mexico have announced five criminal targets for their “Se Busca Información” initiative.
Launched in 2016 as a joint effort between the U.S. Border Patrol and the Government of Mexico, “Se Busca Información” identifies individuals associated with transnational criminal organizations wanted for crimes associated with human and drug smuggling on both sides of the border.
“The ‘Se Busca Información’ initiative promotes unity and encourages the public to anonymously report information about known smugglers,” said Customs and Border Protection Deputy Commissioner Troy Miller. “This is another example of the work the United States and Mexico are undertaking to continue to manage the border in a safe, orderly, and secure manner.”
“Each day in the field, our Border Patrol agents encounter vulnerable families and children that have been lied to by human smugglers working for opportunistic criminal organizations,” said U.S Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz. “This is a call to action to continue battling these illicit networks who plague known regions of transit in our communities and are responsible for far too many deaths, including innocent children.”
The five individuals’ pictures are placed on posters, flyers, and billboards in heavily traveled locations throughout the region for public viewing. In Mexico, they are displayed on bulletins, billboards, and posters along city streets. Posters will be displayed at U.S. Border Patrol stations, immigration checkpoints, and international ports of entry in the Tucson and Yuma border region.
Those who believe they have information about these criminals can confidentially report this information to law enforcement in Tucson at (520) 519-7002 and Yuma at (928) 341-6568 or (928) 341-6579 – where voice messages, texts, or ‘WhatsApp’ can be used. The phone lines are open 24 hours a day to a special ‘Se Busca Información’ intelligence center.
It is important to note that an arrest or criminal complaint is merely a charge and should not be considered evidence of guilt. Subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.