U.S. citizens trafficking drugs across border

Hiding in plain sight, people risk getting caught crossing back to U.S. from Mexico - News 11's Arlette Yousif reports

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Drug trafficking at the border is lower than usual this time of year when it comes to cocaine and marijuana. They are down more than 80% from this time last year. Fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking has not changed.

However, the majority of drug busts are at the checkpoints.

Yuma Sector Border Patrol says they believe it's due to a large number of undocumented immigrant apprehensions. However, the majority of the drug busts are at the checkpoints.

Most traffic coming through the U.S.-Mexico border checkpoints are actual citizens.

"A lot of the seizures that we're getting on the checkpoints are from U.S. citizens. That's a contrast to what we see in the remote desert where we're seeing the backpackers and the drug mules, and a lot of those are non-citizens," says Yuma Sector Border Patrol Agent Vincent Dulesky.

Agent Dulesky says that the focus for smugglers has shifted.

"As more apprehensions come through, you know, there’s more money being made on the human product. You know and you can’t help but think that the cartels are kind of focusing now their sites on the more profitable product, which is the human," explains Agent Dulesky.

Agents step in when they identify human trafficking, but it’s not always apparent.

Undocumented immigrants who traffic drugs usually move smaller amounts as they can only carry a bag of some sort or tape it to their bodies.