Immigration Reality and the Drug War: Brutal Cartels Make Crossing U.S. Border Even Riskier

Brutal Cartels Make Crossing U.S. Border Even Riskier : NPR: "Extortion And Kidnapping At The Border

Juan Perez, 24, and his girlfriend arrived in Matamoros a couple of days ago from the southern Mexican state of Tabasco. They've run out of money and now find themselves stuck at the border.

'There's a lot of criminals at the river. You have to pay to cross the river,' Perez says. 'And on the other side you have to be careful of the Border Patrol. And there's a lot of crime here in Matamoros right now.'

He says the gangs want $100 per person just to let migrants swim across the river; it's $3,000 if you want to get delivered to Dallas. Perez can't even afford to jump into the water.

The couple is staying at a church-run shelter. They've heard about other migrants getting kidnapped, robbed and beaten here. They don't have the bus fare to return to Tabasco, but Perez worries he'll get abducted if he goes out to try to find a job.

'The truth is ... I'm afraid to go out in the streets,' he says."