The Mexico-Guatemala-Belize border has become a hotbed for human trafficking, smuggling of goods and narcotics. Authorities from both countries have identified at least 300 blind spots used by organized crime to smuggle people and products undetected.
Over the past decade, these illicit routes have tripled due to the presence of Mexican cartels such as Sinaloa and Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), which are vying for control of the drug and migrant trade. Guatemala notes that these groups have opened paths in hard-to-reach areas, also used for smuggling goods.
The Suchiate River remains one of the main routes for irregular migration, where rafts transporting people are seen daily. However, organized crime has diversified its methods, using pedestrian crossings, vehicles, and even zip lines to move people and goods, according to information published by the Sol de México newspaper.
In an effort to curb this situation, Guatemala has deployed its elite unit, the Kaibiles, to the most vulnerable points along the border. This reinforcement came after the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who pressured countries in the region to address the migrant and narcotics flow.
In Belize, Mexico has strengthened surveillance with elements of the Navy, the National Guard, and the Ministry of Defense. Unlike the border with Guatemala, the main problem here is not migration, but the trafficking of goods and weapons, especially on the slopes of the Hondo River, where sugarcane fields obscure visibility.
Experts point out that the geography of the southern border, with its dense vegetation and low population density, facilitates the operation of organized crime. In contrast to the north, where there is a wall and greater surveillance, in the south, control is lax, allowing these clandestine routes to grow unchecked.
Source: Debate
