Program aims to keep teens from smuggling
Sep 17, 2012, 6:43 AM | Updated: 6:43 am
PHOENIX — The Border Patrol said it is making headway when it comes to keeping teens from becoming smugglers.
The Border Patrol, after seeing positive results, is continuing its campaign to keep high school students out of the world of drug and human smuggling. An anti-smuggling program, called Operation Detour, will be offered to Nogales teens this week at their schools.
Border Patrol Agent Jeremy Copeland said the program’s purpose is to show teens that there is nothing glamorous about smuggling.
“Smugglers are ruthless criminals and they will lie and deceive to get the product across the border and pull people into smuggling,” he said.
Copeland said smugglers will paint a picture for teens of easy money with no legal troubles because of their age.
Wrong.
“In the Tucson Sector, that is not the case,” he said. “We are actively prosecuting juveniles that are involved in smuggling and their age doesn’t matter.”
More than 11,000 students have been positively impacted by Operation Detour and Copeland said it is an eye-opener for many of them.
