U.S Federal officials say are arresting more U.S. Teenagers trying to smuggle drugs across the U.S.-Mexico border.
Federal officials say the biggest jump in teenagers attempting to smuggle drugs through pedestrian crossings is in Calexico. They say they've detained four times more teenagers in the last 10 months compared to all of 2008.
The number of detentions at San Ysidro and Otay pedestrian crossings has more than doubled during the same time period.
Mike Carney, who is with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, says its mostly 18 to twenty-somethings who recruit border area high school students to smuggle drugs. "And, you know, its with the promise of easy money and low risk, but the risk is definitely there," said Carney.
Officials say most teens get paid between $50 to $200, depending on the kind and quantity of drugs.
They say the majority of teenagers they've caught were smuggling a few pounds of marijuana.
