Border Patrol sings deadly lullabies to illegals

By WND Staff

The U.S. Border Patrol has come up with a unique way to deter illegals from coming into the U.S. – release “migration songs” in Mexico to warn aliens about the dangers of crossing the border.

Set to guitar and accordion music, songs such as “La Carta” (The Letter), “La Tumba” (The Tomb) and “El Funeral” (The Funeral) are part of the agency’s new publicity campaign to keep illegals on their side, the Mexican news agency Efe reported.

“I took the road that so many take, the highway of the lonely, where the courageous one breaks down in tears, where you yourself are your own adversary,” are lyrics to one sad song.

“La Tumba” tells a story about the plight of an illegal alien who tried to enter the U.S. and ends with his burial.

“There are many reasons to cross the border, (but) none is worth more than your life,” the song concludes.

“El Funeral” is about three men who cheerfully attended school and played together. But when they decide to look for work in the U.S., they meet their deaths.

Another song says:
“Night fell, silence came and 1,000 stars suffered with me, when suddenly, far away, life put me before a friend. He was sick, he was shivering and his eyes were full of fear. He begged me, ‘Take me … don’t leave me to die like a dog.'”

Border Patrol spokesman Oscar Saldaña told Efe the agency is saturating border cities with the tunes.

“The songs were distributed by an ad agency in Mexican border cities like Reynosa and Matamoros, and after they were broadcast by commercial radio stations in the Mexican interior and in Latin America, which include them in their regular programming,” he said. “We know that they have dubbed them ‘migracorridos’ (migration songs), but what we’re interested in is that they carry the message to as many cities and towns as possible.”

Saldaña said coyotes, or human traffickers, lie to illegals about risks of the journey, and aliens often meet their deaths in desolate areas.

“They tell them that the trek through the desert will last three hours, when in reality it’s days,” he said. “They don’t provide them with enough water or clothing.”

Saldaña claims the Border Patrol’s publicity efforts have deterred many illegals from making the trek. Illegal alien deaths along the border dropped to 386 in 2008 from 492 in 2005.

“There continue to be many deaths,” he said, “and we’re trying to reduce the number through (publicity) campaigns and rescue operations.”