American officials have announced millions of dollars in rewards for information aimed at tackling human smuggling operations in the Darien Gap, the treacherous jungle path between Panama and Colombia that many migrants take on their way to the U.S.
Concretely, the State Department is offering up to $8 million. They include up to $2 million for information that can lead to the arrest or conviction of any leading member of a smuggling operation, as well as up to $1 million for information that can disrupt organizations' finances.
The largest reward amounts to $5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of any regional leader "involved in human smuggling in the Darién by encouraging and inducing aliens to enter the United States resulting in death," the State Department said.
"Today, we are doubling down on our efforts to strike at the heart of where human smuggling networks operate," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a news release. He added that the organizations consistently target migrants and commit violent crimes including murder, rape, robbery and extortion.
The announcement took place on the third anniversary of Joint Task Force Alpha, a federal program seeking to investigate and prosecute human smuggling at the southern border, CBS News reported. Task force members gathered to discuss the operation after three years. They include over 300 domestic arrests and 240 convictions in the U.S.
In 2023, a record 520,000 people crossed through the gap, about 120,000 of them were children. UNICEF recently said that the amount of children crossing has increased by 40% so far this year, putting figures on track for their fifth consecutive yearly increase, the organization added.
Concretely, over 30,000 children had crossed the Darien Gap by mid-May. Nearly 2,000 who were unaccompanied or separated from their families, an amount that has tripled in comparison to 2023.
Based on trends observed, UNICEF estimates that the figure could reach 160,000 this year, with an overall 800,000 taking the journey. The number of children in transit is growing five times faster than adults.
"The Darien Gap is no place for children. Many children have died on this arduous, dangerous journey. Women have given birth while on route, bringing new life into the world in the most challenging of circumstances. Many of those who survive the journey arrive sick, hungry, and dehydrated, often with wounds or infections and in desperate need of support," said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban.
According to an April report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), the Panamanian government is currently not doing enough to protect the migrants crossing the Darien Gap, with the country focused on restricting movement and rushing migrants through to Costa Rica.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
