Political.tips EXCLUSIVE: Research memo presented by Sarah Ashton-Cirillo to policymakers RE: Immigration

Immigration observations and findings from Panama, Guatemala and Mexico.

January 26, 2024

Overview: 

On December 28th, 2023, S. Ashton-Cirillo (hereafter referred to as SAC), an American citizen serving as an NCO in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, flew to Latin America to explore ties between the weaponization of migration by enemies of the United States (Russia, Iran, Venezuela, China, Cuba, and Nicaragua) and the ongoing immigration crisis in the US. 

Observations: 

Darien Province - Panama

SAC was in Darien from 12/30 through 1/4 and visited two migrant reception centers administered by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a UN agency. While there, SAC ventured into the Darien Jungle at its entry point in Yaviza, Panama (8.149, -77.688) known more commonly as the “Darien Gap” and also engaged in discussions with an elected leader from the local Embera tribe. 

According to SAC, at the San Vicente center (located at 8.5609039,-78.0239451,15) near the town of Meteti, the camp is a pass-through to a significant amount of “single, military-age men” from the People’s Republic of China, Haiti, Venezuela, Peru, multiple African and middle eastern countries, and elsewhere. 

Over several days, SAC videotaped groups of men who acknowledged they were from China and on their way to the United States. On another day, SAC videotaped two Venezuelans and a Peruvian who confirmed the existence of migrants from “China, Africa, and Asia” in the camp. These men also complained that the Chinese were being given preferential treatment.  

SAC witnessed dozens of buses a day leaving from San Vicente with migrants who were being removed from Panama and taken directly to Costa Rica. A bus ticket costs approximately $60 per passenger and is mandatory to purchase. (Those who can afford it are processed and sent north within 24 hours; those who can’t have to request money from relatives or do some work around the camp to earn their fees.) 

At the camp SAC visited near Lajas Blancas (located at 8.4043422,-77.81918), migrants are often brought up the river in dug-out boats steered by Embera natives. SAC stated that this setup is part of the shadow economy that has sprung up around the trafficking of migrants from South America into North America, with the natives making around 25 dollars per person to take them from the jungle’s edge to camp. This comes to around 500 dollars per entire boatload. The second camp also buses its inhabitants out to Costa Rica in the same manner as the first. 

The local leader SAC had dinner with is the representative of 29 different Embera villages, totaling almost 10,000 natives. The Embera “Mayor” told SAC that although the migrants infuse money into the economy, they are destroying the ecology of the tribal lands and are bringing significant amounts of criminal activity to the areas, including theft. Furthermore, corpses of migrants are often found on the territory of different Embera village lands. Their deaths come from drowning, illness, and murder by bandits and cartel members. 

The second camp also buses its inhabitants out to Costa Rica in the same manner as the first. 

Tijuana, Rosarito, Tecate, Ejido Jacume - Mexico

SAC visited Mexico’s northern border region from 1/8 to 1/16.  This area houses a significant number of the so-called Russian asylum seekers. Due to more extensive funding by Russian citizens than the average migrant, they can wait out the extensive time needed for CBP One appointments along the US Southern border. In doing so, they have gamed the system. In early May of 2023 it was reported that despite making up only 10% of the total asylum seekers by population in Tijuana, Russian nationals accounted for 44% of all appointments. Many of these asylum claims are either without merit or simply fraudulent.

Extensive research of Russian language telegram channels focused on the Tijuana area shows offers for “credible fear” coaching interviews, which also offer full backstories. For those unable to secure an appointment on the app, services are also advertised to drive Russian nationals to border crossings in cars that can legally enter America. When questioned, they make the asylum claim at that time. Also, on these Telegram channels are smuggling services by foot across the desert and opportunities for Russian girls and women to dance in Mexican bars and nightclubs.

In speaking to several groups of Russian nationals in Tijuana, SAC found one man who supported the war against Ukraine, several who didn’t want to be conscripted, and one group that all agreed this was simply an opportunity to wait out the war and grab green cards. 

Meeting one member of the Russian-speaking community in Rosarito, SAC was informed that due to extended waiting times for CPB One appointments, Mexican officials were beginning to stop Slavic-looking people on the streets and demand to see when their tourist visas would expire. Those who have overstayed in Mexico are now being shaken down. This has caused many Russians to stay in their homes except to leave for essential shopping.

Tijuana did not have a significant number of migrants on the streets. However, on a few occasions, SAC did recognize groups of refugees from their use of bags with the IOM logo provided to those preparing to cross the border to the US. In addition to the Russians, SAC also spoke to three military-age men from Armenia in Tijuana, who planned to apply for asylum in the United States after Karabahk was reclaimed by Azerbaijan.

Recent local news indicated that most migrants who had been camping in the streets of Tijuana had been moved to west to Tecate and Ejido Jacume (32.610,-116.183). However, when SAC arrived, remnants of migrant camps were only found in both areas. In Tecate, auto traffic at the border to the US stretched miles, and the land crossing was nearly deserted. In Ejido, all residents denied knowledge of any migrants. However, SAC believes these denials are due to the influence of cartels in that community and the use of migrants as an essential economic tool for the village.

When returning on the toll highway to Tijuana from Ejido, in the opposite direction going west towards Ejido, SAC photographed a heavily guarded checkpoint on the highway manned by the Mexican National Guard and Border Patrol. All trucks, vans, and buses were being searched and redirected off the highway when migrants were found on board. According to SAC, this was similar to the situation taking place in Panama to hide the migrants. The checkpoint was located at approximately 32.523, -116.324. 

Tapachula and Ciudad Hidalgo - Mexico

SAC next went to the Mexican-Guatemala border region from 1/17 to 1/20. SAC stated that Tapachula is a city nearly overrun with migrants from across the world. Single, military-age men from Haiti, Venezuela, and other nations carried their sleeping mats everywhere, making camp where they could. Women and Children created a defacto open air safe space every night to try to have protection in numbers, as the city is nearly lawless despite a significant Mexican military presence. Due to transport no longer being provided for free once they enter Mexico, entire families beg for money in hopes of proceeding north. 

Several groups of military-age men from the Perople’s Republic of China and Egypt stayed in SAC's hotel for days, awaiting to be met by Arabic- and Han-speaking smugglers. SAC audio recorded a brief part of the Arabic conversation when they prepared to head out. 

At the border crossing in Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico’s southernmost city, SAC encountered human traffickers using children to pull rafts full of men in the middle of the day across the open border (14.676, -92.148) from Guatemala to Mexico. Further down the river, SAC crossed an earthen bridge (14.674, -92.147) that bisected the river and entered Guatemala before returning to Mexico. At the landing spot for the migrants, there was a sign giving them advice, which the United Nations sponsored.  

As the migrants lined up on a high seawall separating the river from the city and were met by a trafficker who took a roster of their names, SAC began recording and was attacked by four smugglers who attempted to grab SAC’s phone and camera equipment. After fighting them off, SAC was able to preserve all photo, video, and audio evidence. This activity occurred approximately 500 meters from the official migration office and border crossing.

Mexico D.F. - Mexico

SAC’s trip ended in Mexico City. While there, SAC met with the bureau chief of an American publication friendly to the United States, who confirmed Russian influence in the government. This was mentioned when SAC mentioned how RT is broadcast on three channels in Mexico City.

Additional Notes by SAC:

In the first 11 months of 2023, 2 times more adult men arrived in Panama through the Darien Gap than women (259,234 men / 128,245 women). This percentage was consistent with the prior year (179,170 men / 69,114 women).

More than 44,000 Haitians, 22,000 Chinese, 3,800 Afghans, 1,000 Somalis, 900 Angolans, 400 Syrians, and 250 Iranians were among these migrants. 

In the case of the migrants from the PRC, 2022 to 2023 saw a 10-fold increase, with 2,005 Chinese crossing the gap for all of 2022. Haitian crossing doubled from 2022 to 2023 with the prior year having 22,435 arrivals.

(Note: 24,314 Chinese were encountered at the US Southern Border in FY 2023, while 22,591 crossed the Darien Gap into Panama. These numbers create a reasonable assumption that more than 90% of all irregular attempts at migration by Chinese into the United States funnel through the Panama corridor. )

The revenue created by smuggling migrants from South America through Darien is well into the 100’s of millions of dollars and has grown for several years.

Despite flying directly to North America in most cases, attempted Russian entry totals on the US Southern Border have also increased exponentially from just over 4,000 in 2021 to over 40,000 in 2023. 

Russia has more spies in Mexico than any other country in the world, and at least a dozen of their state security agents have been caught trying to enter the US since the beginning of the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Additionally, Russian troops marched in the September, 2023 Mexican Independence Day parade along with soldiers from Brazil, Chile, China, Venezuela, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Cuba, and Nicaragua. This occurred just after Chairman Pfluger held a hearing on 6/21/2023, warning of the risk from Russian and Chinese nationals on the southern border. 

Between November 2022 and January 2024, visitors to the Mexican embassy in Russia's electronic visa information page viewed 471,733 pages. 

United States government officials have made several trips to the camps in Darien during the last 2 plus years. This included a multilateral signing of intent by the UN and US to ease the humanitarian crisis facing the migrants, a visit by Under Secretary Zeya, who made a 20 million dollar pledge while she was there, and a quick stop by Secretary Mayorkas in the Spring of 2023.

Venezuela has seen its violent crime drop to a more than two-decade low based on a migration outflow from their prisons and of their societal undesirables. 

On 1/3/2024, the Argentine police arrested three men from Syria on terrorism charges who were awaiting a package from Yemen. In their possession were passports issued by Venezuela and Colombia.

Photos:

The photos below are a combination of screen shots from videos and still pictures taken by SAC during the trip. They are included for reference and labeled by location.

The landing point for the Embera skiffs is where they drop migrants 100 meters from the Lajas Blancas camp.

Men from China at the San Vicente Camp (creenshots of videos from multiple days).

Buses full of migrants leaving the San Vicente Camp (screenshots of videos from multiple days).

Tapachula (Screen shots of videos from multiple days).

Migrants crossing from Guatemala to Mexico (All are screenshots from videos.)

Video screenshot in Han showing the way to the United States for Chinese “refugees.”

Map new smuggling routes in Darien as of 10/15/23