Local Border Patrol Agents give presentation to SLHS health classes
Local Border Patrol agents visited San Luis High School on Wednesday to shed light on the reality of smuggling drugs.
Border Patrol Agent Mathew Wills, along with Agents Yajayra Franco and Alfredo Prieto, gave presentations to health classes, taught by Therese Volmer, at San Luis High School.
The presentation is part of the education program, “Operation Detour” which explains the realities associated with smuggling drugs.
“We think it’s important to tell the kids the truth so they know what’s going on and what’s happening out there,” said Agent Wills, who has been with the agency for eight years and now serves as Community Liaison.
The agents addressed everything from the legal penalties to sharing examples of how involvement with drug cartels can have terrible consequences for individuals and their families.
“It made me realize the bad things that can happen if you smuggle drugs,” SLHS student Sebastian Bustamante said.
“We always tell these kids, if someone’s giving you advice you’ve got to take it. You’ve got to listen twice as much as you speak. So, if they’re willing to take our advice about ‘Operation Detour’ and some of that life advice that we give them that’s all that really matters to us,” said Wills.
The agents reminded students to be careful who they associate with because 90 percent of the time, according to Prieto, it’s a close friend who “recruits” you into the drug trade.
