Guatemalan human smuggling cartel busted - where did the 20,000 people trafficked end up - and where did they get the estimated $18,000 each to be smuggled?

From here:

Massive Human Smuggling Ring Crushed – What Authorities Found Will Stun You | RightWing

• “Four Guatemalan nationals have been arrested for operating a smuggling network that brought at least 20,000 illegal immigrants into the U.S. over five years

• Migrants paid up to $18,000 for the journey and were held hostage in Los Angeles under death threats until payments were completed

• The smuggling operation was linked to a fatal 2023 traffic accident in Oklahoma that killed seven people, including a child

• The accused smugglers face potential death penalty or life imprisonment if convicted on charges including hostage-taking and smuggling resulting in death

• The bust represents a major success for President Trump’s intensified border security efforts.”

Fantastic news!

But..

Where did all these trafficked people end up? They were apparently held by the gang in the “sanctuary city” of Los Angeles until they paid the trafficking charge of $18,000 - but then where?

Where did the people get the $18,000 each, to pay off the huma traffickers?

I wonder whether Bitcoin was involved in the payments. It seems to be the perfect tool for hiding any payments - so, is there a UN/NGO slush fund full of BTC that th cartels are tapping into, to traffic people? How much do the cartels use BTC to finance their activities and “store” their wealth?

Idle thoughts but well done for capturing the traffickers!!!

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Onwards!!!