Juárez Smugglers Create Camouflaged Rebar Ladders to Scale Mexican Border Wall

Smugglers in Juárez, Mexico have been using ladders made from rebar to scale President Donald Trump's border wall and enter the U.S. according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Because their color scheme matches the wall, the ladders are difficult to detect. However, border patrol agents have found a number of them in the El Paso, Texas sector of the border. "We're starting to see a lot of evading activity," sector spokesman Agent Ramiro Cordero told the El Paso Times. "We're starting to see the criminal organizations working hand-to-hand on either side to avoid detections. More and more we are seeing 'failure to yields'—they are utilizing ladders to go over the fence." Newsweek reached out to CBP for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication. By bending the tops of the rebar poles into a U-shape, users are able to hook the ladders over the wall in order to cross into the U.S. illegally. Materials to construct the ladders are estimated to cost less than $6, which converts to approximately 99 pesos in Mexican currency.  Climbing over the southern border wall into the U.S. by using a ladder has become a more frequent occurrence. As previously reported by Newsweek, over 110 immigrants entered Arizona by scaling the wall with the help of a ladder. Agents detained the immigrants after they hit U.S. soil, but the smuggler who aided them returned to Mexico...MORE