The migrant caravans inundating the United States are being used by cartel members to smuggle drugs into the country, according to a Washington Times report.

The large groups of migrants often overwhelm Border Patrol agents, allowing drug gangs to take advantage of the situation and ship drugs across the border while agents remain occupied providing humanitarian aid to the illegal immigrants.

A Customs and Border Protection official said, “They’re using these large groups to facilitate the crossing of narcotics because they know they’ve tied up a large percentage of our manpower.”

The Times reports:

“On any day, about 150 Border Patrol agents are pulled out of the field and have to do “hospital watch,” staying with hundreds of illegal immigrants who were so sick when they arrived that they needed immediate medical attention, officials said.

The latest large group was nabbed near Ajo, Arizona, on Thursday.

The 320 people came to a part of the U.S.-Mexico border where there is no fence, but rather a vehicle barrier to prevent cars and trucks from driving across.

The group easily climbed the barrier, then demanded the attention of Border Patrol agents.

“You’re pulling from a security mission in order to be able to perform a humanitarian mission,” the border official said.”

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