VIDEO: Migrant smuggler reveals the reason why so many migrants are coming to American right now



The border crisis may not be making headlines every day, but the crisis continues to unfold. Reporters, in fact, briefly spoke with a migrant smuggler this week who revealed why migrants are making the dangerous trek to the United States right now.

What did the smuggler say?

While reporting from the Rio Grande river in Texas, which forms a natural border boundary between the U.S. and Mexico, reporters from Townhall and the Daily Caller caught up with a migrant smuggler early Friday morning.

That smuggler, who was in the middle of transporting migrants, said that crossing the Rio Grande river was more difficult under former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, adding that migrants are coming to the U.S. right now because President Joe Biden is giving them asylum.

"[Daily Caller's Jorge Ventura] asked one of the smugglers if it is easier to cross the river under Biden. He said yes because Biden is giving the migrants asylum," Townhall reporter Julio Rosas said.

"He also said it was harder to cross the border under Obama/Trump because U.S. boats would patrol the river day and night," he explained.

.@VenturaReport asked one of the smugglers if it is easier to cross the river under Biden.

He said yes because Biden is giving the migrants asylum.

He also said it was harder to cross the border under Obama/Trump because U.S. boats would patrol the river day and night. pic.twitter.com/SFIPED0omE
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) July 2, 2021

What are others saying?

The account from the unnamed migrant smuggler confirms what others, including Central American presidents, are saying about the connection between the border crisis and Biden's immigration policies.

In fact, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador directly blamed Biden while speaking at a press conference in March.

"Expectations were created that with the government of President Biden, there would be a better treatment of migrants. And this has caused Central American migrants, and also from our country, wanting to cross the border thinking that it is easier to do so," López Obrador said.

Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei agreed with López Obrador's analysis during an interview with MSNBC in April.

"I am nobody to make a judgment here, but I believe in the first few weeks of the Biden administration, messages were confusing," Giammattei said. "They were compassionate messages that were understood by people in our country, especially the coyotes, to tell families, 'we'll take the children, the children can go in and once the children are there they will call their parents.' And so those messages were confusing. Not because of the way they were communicated, but because of the way they were translated here."

While campaigning for president, Biden promised a major part of his immigration policy would involve reversing Trump's policies. Mexican officials have said since that rolling back Trump's deterrent policies contributed to the migrant crisis.

Anything else?

Migrant apprehensions for fiscal year 2021 surpassed 1 million last month, according to Reuters, the majority of which have come under Biden's watch.

"U.S. Border Patrol made 172,000 migrant arrests at the southwestern border in May, on par with 20-year highs from March and April. Similar figures are expected in June," Reuters noted.

VIDEO: Dozens of apparent shots fired in vicinity of George Floyd Square on anniversary of namesake's death



Videos on Tuesday captured the moment that dozens of apparent shots were fired in the vicinity of George Floyd Square in Minneapolis on the anniversary of Floyd's death while in police custody.

Here's a clip from KARE-TV showing numerous people running for cover and a man yelling to "get down!":

Gunshots near George Floyd Square in Minneapolisyoutu.be

Here's another video from a different vantage point, showing AP reporter Philip Crowther speaking on camera when the apparent shots rang out — and he reported what he heard as he headed for safety.

Content warning: Language:

Gunshots heard near Floyd memorial squareyoutu.be

Crowther on Twitter reported that he saw "one broken window, apparently from one of the shots fired. Consensus among reporters here at George Floyd Square was that we heard anywhere between a dozen and two dozen shots fired."

He added a tweet saying that a "fellow reporter just had her phone smashed because she took photos of a storefront hit by a bullet."

The New York Times reported that the mood had been somber all morning as people placed flowers and bowed their heads in front of an outline where Floyd was killed — and the serene scene was over about 10:10 a.m. "with a series of loud noises that sounded like at least 10 gunshots. One girl screamed for her mother as she ran into a corner behind portable toilets. Organizers yelled for children to run to one side."

The paper said organizers returned to the square five minutes later to attend to those who appeared panicked by the incident. Here's a police statement via the Times:

On Tuesday morning at 10:09 a.m., the Minneapolis police department responded to the 3800 block of Elliott Avenue south on a report of the sound of shots fired.

Information received from callers was that a suspect vehicle was last seen leaving the area at a high rate of speed.

A short period of time later, an individual showed up at Abbott Northwestern Hospital suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim has been transported to Hennepin County Medical Center for treatment. It is believed that the injury is non-life-threatening.

Anything else?

The autonomous zone consisting of several barricaded blocks that the city has allowed to exist has been a recent source of controversy.

Video from March showed the area being controlled by thuggish, left-wing militants. Here's a reporter's encounter with two of them.

Content warning: Language:

The George Floyd memorial is an "autonomous zone" with several blocks controlled by activists. Police don't even go… https://t.co/tLHXtegToQ

— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) 1615338802.0

Last month video showed a sign posted at one of the barricaded entrances to George Floyd Square that included rules "for white people in particular."

Walking into George Floyd Square https://t.co/jIDzBNicVw

— Jorge Ventura Media (@VenturaReport) 1619027576.0

And black-owned businesses near the square in late April were begging for financial help because they said increased crime in their neighborhood is driving their businesses into the ground.

WATCH: Black Marine Vet Holding American Flag Rips Protesters: ‘None Of You Guys Represent Black Lives’

Over the weekend, a black man who said he served eight years in the Marines and tried to decorate a fence around the federal courthouse in Portland with American flags confronted protesters, snapping at them, “None of you guys represent black lives.” “If you stand for justice come here and stand with me,” Gabriel Johnson, who […]

Over the weekend, a black man who said he served eight years in the Marines and tried to decorate a fence around the federal courthouse in Portland with American flags confronted protesters, snapping at them, “None of you guys represent black lives.”

“If you stand for justice come here and stand with me,” Gabriel Johnson, who opposes the use of federal law enforcement in the city, yelled at protesters while holding an American flag. “Stand with me because I’m here for justice. I’m not here to tear down this f***ing fence; I’m not here to spray-paint. It’s going on every day. If you don’t want to get gassed, stop! If you don’t want to get gassed, stop! It has to stop! None of you guys represent black lives. Sit and protest. Sit and protest.”

The moment was caught on video and posted to social media (warning: language).

A man with an American flag ask why the mob is ripping down the fence in front of the Federal Courthouse #Portland pic.twitter.com/XP5QZtLTRO

— Jorge Ventura Media (@VenturaReport) July 19, 2020

On Friday night, federal law enforcement used tear gas to disperse the crowd, prompting the protesters to respond with fireworks.

In response, Johnson told KOIN, “I spent eight years in the Marine Corps … I have tremendous PTSD. So 85 flash bangs and tear gas in my apartment is very triggering, and part of that trigger is the one way to stop it is to be about change.”

Concerning his attempt to decorate the fence with flags, Johnson said, “We deserve better. We deserve to be brought together.”

“My narrative is simply we all need to come together. Man, that’s it. You’re mad at me because I got a flag?” he told a protester.

“I support the city; I support the police; I support us coming together because it’s about time,” Johnson told KOIN. “It’s been 60-plus days of us being out in the street and like, what’s been accomplished?”

On Sunday, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler complained on CNN about the presence of federal law enforcement in the city, saying they “are not wanted here. We haven’t asked them here. In fact, we want them to leave.’

“Well, the president has a complete misunderstanding of cause and effect. What’s happening here is, we have dozens, if not hundreds of federal troops descending upon our city,” said Wheeler, as reported by The Daily Mail. “And what they’re doing is, they are sharply escalating the situation. Their presence here is actually leading to more violence and more vandalism. And it’s not helping the situation at all. They’re not wanted here. We haven’t asked them here. In fact, we want them to leave. What we’re seeing is a blatant abuse of police tactics by the federal government, by a Trump administration that’s falling in the polls. And this is a direct threat to our democracy.”

On Sunday, President Trump tweeted, “We are trying to help Portland, not hurt it. Their leadership has, for months, lost control of the anarchists and agitators. They are missing in action. We must protect Federal property, AND OUR PEOPLE. These were not merely protesters, these are the real deal!”

We are trying to help Portland, not hurt it. Their leadership has, for months, lost control of the anarchists and agitators. They are missing in action. We must protect Federal property, AND OUR PEOPLE. These were not merely protesters, these are the real deal!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 19, 2020

Related: Dozen Seattle Cops Injured As Rioters Attack Multiple Police Buildings, Court Building, Amazon, Starbucks

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