A Coyote Speaks: Fusion's Rare, Exclusive Interview with a Human Smuggler Dan Lieberman and Roberto Daza - Fusion
go to original August 22, 2014

In this rare interview with Fusion, a Honduran coyote in San Pedro Sula agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity. What he told us offers a unique glimpse of the shadowy world of human smuggling.

Central American children arriving at the U.S. border—60,000 unaccompanied minors have been caught by U.S. border agents since October—are not making the trek alone.

Many kids are guided north by coyotes, human traffickers hired to help migrants navigate the dangerous journey thousands of miles away, passing through several countries.

The going rate for a coyote is $5,000, but much of that goes to paying off corrupt government officials, cops and gangs along the way.

It’s a lucrative, high-risk business estimated to bring in $6.6 billion a year for smugglers operating throughout Latin America, according to a 2010 United Nations report.

The coyotes who smuggle migrants to the United States form part of a notoriously secretive network, which is well-connected yet off the radar.

Read the rest at Fusion

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