Migrants Are Now Paying Up to $18,000 To Be Smuggled Into U.S. as Cartels Hike Fees: Report

Mexican cartels have significantly increased their smuggling fees as illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border decline, according to a new report from NBC 5 Investigates.

A migrant recently apprehended by Texas state troopers near McAllen disclosed that he agreed to pay cartel operatives $18,000 to be smuggled into the U.S., with $12,000 paid upfront and $6,000 still owed.

Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) officials attribute the fee increase to the reduced number of migrants crossing and intensified border security measures implemented under the Trump administration, according to the report. U.S. Border Patrol data indicates a 76% drop in encounters along the southern border in January 2025 compared to the previous year. On a single day, Saturday, Border Patrol reported only 200 migrant encounters, marking a 15-year low.

State and federal law enforcement officers have observed that with fewer large migrant groups attempting crossings, the focus has shifted to organized smuggling operations. Texas DPS troopers and Border Patrol agents are now engaging in more targeted operations against human smugglers, using drones, scent-tracking dogs, and aerial surveillance to intercept illegal crossings.

"We have more support now at the federal level, which does help us. It makes us more efficient," said Texas DPS Lt. Christopher Olivarez to NBC 5.

The surge in smuggling costs also coincides with broader U.S. and Mexican efforts to dismantle transnational criminal networks. A recent joint operation led to the arrest of two alleged smugglers from an organization operating in Juarez, Chihuahua, which was accused of smuggling individuals, including children, from Central America into the U.S.

The group reportedly kidnapped and extorted migrants before completing their journey. The U.S. Department of Justice and Mexico's Attorney General's Office coordinated the enforcement action, underscoring ongoing binational cooperation against human trafficking.

Meanwhile, Texas remains central to the federal government's immigration enforcement efforts. The state holds the highest number of detained migrants in the country, with eight of its detention centers ranking among the top 20 facilities housing at least 800 detainees each.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has pledged continued state investment in border security through Operation Lone Star, a multibillion-dollar initiative that has resulted in over 50,000 criminal arrests since 2021. While Abbott has sought federal reimbursement for the $11 billion Texas has spent on border enforcement, his administration has signaled no intention to scale back the operation.