Justice Department ramping up efforts to target human smuggling at the northern US border
September 4, 2025
The U.S. Justice Department is ramping up efforts to target human smuggling operations exploiting America’s northern border, citing growing concerns about sophisticated criminal networks transporting migrants for profit, expanding their focus beyond the southern border. The expansion of Joint Task Force Alpha is aimed at cracking down on smuggling operations often linked to cartels that can expose migrants to exploitation and abuse. In one recently charged case, authorities allege children were given THC-laced candy in order to sedate them as they were being taken across the border.