People unknowingly driving drugs across the border, CBP sources say

Federal authorities say they are noticing a new trend in drug smuggling: unsuspecting U.S. residents taking their cars for minor repairs to Mexico and coming back with drugs stashed in hidden compartments.

“A lot of times the ‘mule’ (drug courier) doesn’t even know what he or she is bringing and a lot of times the stories seem to be legit: the vehicle had a GPS tracker and the other guys were pretty much seeing where the vehicle was parked and waiting to remove the narcotic,” said a CBP official in Laredo, Texas, who spoke on the condition that he not be identified ...

Taking vehicles across the border for repairs after an accident is a common practice among long-time border residents stuck with high insurance deductibles or not wanting to report a claim to avoid steep hikes in their premium ...

The CBP official said sending drugs through a person that doesn’t know he or she is a courier minimizes the cartels’ collateral damage. Their operatives aren’t caught and the unsuspecting courier can’t provide much information about the sender.

“They also don’t get nervous during inspections because they don’t know what they’re carrying,” he said....

When asked if Mexico remains a safe place for Americans to visit despite the drug activity, the CBP source said, “the official answer is, ‘look up the State Department travel advisories.'” ...