On today’s show, we welcome back Victor Avila. Jr. Victor was recently on the show and shared a horrific story from his time in Mexico while working for Homeland Security. This time, Chuck and Mark get to ask Victor about the reality of what is happening on the border.
They kick off the show by discussing child smuggling and the media’s claim that children are kept in cages if they are caught. Victor explains that the kids are being exploited for prostitution and slave labor if a child is smuggled in the U.S., but they are unable to find their parents. They discuss how immigration laws did not change under Obama. However, the way they were interpreted did change, specifically asylum laws.
They continue to discuss that it is not only Mexican immigrants that are smuggled over the border, plus the large amount of money spent on smuggling. Victor adds that farmers on the border are forced to allow smugglers to use their land. He also clears up the question of why people who are kidnapped do not run away from smugglers that hold them captive and how the smugglers treat them.
They start to wrap up the show by getting Victor’s thoughts on what needs to be done to improve our border. He offers his thoughts and explains exactly why or how it needs to be done. They discuss issues on every level that we have with our border and laws on immigration.
More about Victor Avila Jr.:
Mr. Victor Avila Jr. is a retired Homeland Security Special Agent with over 18 years of Law Enforcement experience. Mr. Avila began his Special Agent career in the Office of Investigations in El Paso, Texas. In 2008, he was promoted to ICE Representative and worked at the ICE office in the U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. He was permanently assigned to the ICE Mexico City Attaché office where he served as an accredited diplomat and liaison to the Government of Mexico conducting international complex criminal investigations in a wide range of violations such as narcotics trafficking, arms trafficking, human trafficking/smuggling, financial violations, commercial fraud and counter terrorism. Mr. Avila also successfully led and oversaw the Global Trafficking in Persons initiative. During his tenure, he addressed large groups of stakeholders on a variety of topics and briefed the Mexican Senate and congress committees in reference to HSI’s role in combating human trafficking, and also spoke before government officials and non-governmental organizations regarding human trafficking matters. Further, Mr. Avila organized various large training conferences and seminars on human trafficking and money laundering as well as selection of the content of panel discussions and panel members. In 2011, he was assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, Spain and served as the Assistant Attaché. He supervised Special Agents and Local Engaged Staff and was responsible for the planning, organization, administration, coordination of HSI activities and the enhancement of the HSI Mission in Spain, Portugal, and Andorra which included investigations regarding intellectual property rights violations, fraud, human smuggling, human trafficking, drug trafficking, money laundering, commercial fraud, counter terrorism and national security investigations.
As an Assistant Attaché Mr. Avila coordinated and conducted the first Cyber Crimes Investigation Training Seminar in Lisbon, Portugal as well as the first Human Trafficking-Cyber Crimes training Seminar for the Moss’s D’Esquadra Cataluña Police Force in Barcelona, Spain.
Mr. Avila has been recognized for Excellence in Law Enforcement by the ICE Hispanic Agents Association; Exceptional Performance in Operation Green Horizon; Meritorious Service Award by the Office of Investigations-El Paso, Texas; The Director’s Award for Operation in Plain Sight in Mexico; Homeland Security Investigations Excellence in Public Service Award; The ICE Foundation Heroism Award; The Valor Award by the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA) and the Medal of Valor for Outstanding Bravery by the National Latino Peace Officers Association. Before becoming a Special Agent, Mr. Avila served as a United States Probation Officer for the U.S. Courts and as a District Parole Officer for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Mr. Avila is a graduate of the Criminal Investigators Training Program and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent Training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Texas at El Paso while focusing on the identity among Hispanic-Americans along the border.
Mr. Avila is currently working on writing his book Murder on Highway 57 Drug Cartels, Human Traffickers, Mass Murderers and the Struggle to Secure Our Southern Border.
Connect with Victor Avila Jr.:
Twitter: @vicsurvivor11
If you missed Victor’s story from his first appearance on Blunt Force Truth you can listen here:
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