Border Patrol officials told lawmakers that smugglers charge illegal immigrants from China up to $60,000 to unlawfully enter the United States, according to a report released on Tuesday from Republicans on the House Committee on Homeland Security.
Border Patrol chiefs told the committee earlier this year that transnational criminal organizations effectively controlled the U.S. southern border, charging thousands of dollars to people looking to sneak into America. The cost of entry into the U.S. increased depending on how far away you were coming from and where you were entering, they said.
The average cost was estimated to be around $8,600, but could be around $60,000 if you were coming from China. A record number of Chinese nationals have been encountered by Border Patrol in the last year.
Human smuggling and trafficking have proven to be an incredibly lucrative business for the…
