Operation Detour: Border Patrol combats juvenile drug smuggling

Every year hundreds of minors across the country fall victim to the drug or human smuggling trade.

According to Yuma Sector Border Patrol, some of the repercussions can lead to jail.

However, the agency said a lot of the times it can also lead to death.

For that reason, Del Rio Sector Border Patrol established Operation Detour in 2008, an anti-smuggling educational program that aims to educate and warn teens of the dangers of the cartel and transnational smuggling trade.

Yuma Sector Border Patrol introduced Operation Detour in 2008. Since 2017, Yuma agents have reached out to over 1900 students.

“There are repercussions,” Agent Justin Kallinger said. “They could ruin their lives forever just to take that one opportunity to make a quick buck.”

Moreover, agents said they see minors enter the trade far too often.

“They have so much ahead of them,” Agent Matthew Wills said. “To ruin their life over a couple thousand dollars or over some drugs? They don’t understand that it’s not worth it.”

For that reason, agents said Operation Detour has often succeeded in its mission to “strengthen the Border Patrol’s relationship with local communities.”