The Deadly Risks of Migrating to the US

A drug cartel is making millions off a highly organized smuggling business, pushing as many people as possible through the Darien Gap, a stretch of remote, roadless, mountainous rainforest connecting South and Central America, to reach the United States. The trek across the Darien Gap is one of the most popular and perilous walks on earth, with almost 250,000 people making the crossing in 2022. The cartel charges each migrant at least $400 for access to the jungle passage and absorbs all the risks themselves, earning tens of millions of dollars annually. The US, Panama, and Colombia have announced a 60-day campaign aimed at ending illegal migration through the Darien Gap.