Don Tomas
02-22-2007, 11:21 AM
The flow of illegal immigrants into the United States has been called a cat and mouse game between the Border Patrol and migrants. But, a town in Mexico has turned illegal crossings into a big money making game and tourist attraction.
A ski mask hides the smuggler's face. He asks the migrants, some with children, if they're ready, And they are.
The group stays close as they begin down the caminata nocturna - the night road.
They follow the masked man down a gravel path towards the river. Barely five minutes into their journey, Border Patrol agents spot them.
The group walks faster and some are holding flashlights.
They start running when the sirens get closer. They're sloshing through mud puddles, trudging on relentlessly through a farm.
The dark night is lit by headlights. The border patrol is right behind them.
They run faster, finding shelter beneath a canopy of dead branches. They wait until it's safe to leave.
Then, a man lifts a barbed wire fence so others can get under. But the Border Patrol is closing in.
The migrants flee to a drainage tunnel for protection. However, they're not safe.
Overhead, agents, hovering in a helicopter, order them out. They make a run for it.
Two hours later, they pile into the bed of a waiting pickup truck. The border patrol is in hot pursuit less than a quarter-mile behind them. But the migrants make it across the Mexico-Texas border, increasing the number of illegals sneaking into the United States.
But this was all a game - a real cat and mouse game.
The players paid $15 to get the migrant experience. And the small Mexican town of El Alberto has experienced a boom in its economy.
The man playing the smuggler says the idea of the park is to make people see they can make money in Mexico. They don't have to go to the United States for a better life and to make money. It's to convince people not to migrate.
Adventurers and thrill seekers play the migrants. Young affluent Mexican professionals who want a night of danger and excitement of crossing the border without the three days in the desert.
This is all played in Eco Alberto, which is a state-owned park that is about three hours north of Mexico City in the state of Hidalgo. The closest border is actually hundreds of miles away.
Since its inception two years ago, the illegal crossing game has become a big weekend drawn and popular tourist attraction. And that translates to money for the small town.
About 3,000 tourists have played the immigrant game at Parque EcoAlberto. Meanwhile, some human rights groups have criticized the game as exploiting migrants.
A ski mask hides the smuggler's face. He asks the migrants, some with children, if they're ready, And they are.
The group stays close as they begin down the caminata nocturna - the night road.
They follow the masked man down a gravel path towards the river. Barely five minutes into their journey, Border Patrol agents spot them.
The group walks faster and some are holding flashlights.
They start running when the sirens get closer. They're sloshing through mud puddles, trudging on relentlessly through a farm.
The dark night is lit by headlights. The border patrol is right behind them.
They run faster, finding shelter beneath a canopy of dead branches. They wait until it's safe to leave.
Then, a man lifts a barbed wire fence so others can get under. But the Border Patrol is closing in.
The migrants flee to a drainage tunnel for protection. However, they're not safe.
Overhead, agents, hovering in a helicopter, order them out. They make a run for it.
Two hours later, they pile into the bed of a waiting pickup truck. The border patrol is in hot pursuit less than a quarter-mile behind them. But the migrants make it across the Mexico-Texas border, increasing the number of illegals sneaking into the United States.
But this was all a game - a real cat and mouse game.
The players paid $15 to get the migrant experience. And the small Mexican town of El Alberto has experienced a boom in its economy.
The man playing the smuggler says the idea of the park is to make people see they can make money in Mexico. They don't have to go to the United States for a better life and to make money. It's to convince people not to migrate.
Adventurers and thrill seekers play the migrants. Young affluent Mexican professionals who want a night of danger and excitement of crossing the border without the three days in the desert.
This is all played in Eco Alberto, which is a state-owned park that is about three hours north of Mexico City in the state of Hidalgo. The closest border is actually hundreds of miles away.
Since its inception two years ago, the illegal crossing game has become a big weekend drawn and popular tourist attraction. And that translates to money for the small town.
About 3,000 tourists have played the immigrant game at Parque EcoAlberto. Meanwhile, some human rights groups have criticized the game as exploiting migrants.