Illegal immigrants arriving from as far away as China pay up to $30,000 to be smuggled into the US through Mexico, a Border Patrol agent has revealed. This highlights the fact that people from all over the world, not just Central America, are penetrating the southern border due to lackadaisical enforcement of immigration laws.

Federal agents in South Texas recently apprehended two groups of Chinese illegal immigrants, some of whom were suffering from heat exhaustion after making the perilous trek through Mexico’s harsh terrain. Agents greeted the dazed and confused Asian immigrants with water bottles, and despite immense language barriers, were able to communicate to them that they had indeed reached "America."

Taking a cue from the current surge, agents say people from more than 143 countries have attempted to illegally bypass the southern border. Over one weekend, for instance, agents apprehended a diverse group of immigrants from countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

"Most people think that it’s just people from Mexico or Central America, but we get people from China, from Europe, from a whole bunch of different places," Border Patrol Agent Joe Gutierrez said, also disclosing that "people from China sometimes pay up to $30,000 to get into the United States illegally."

One former smuggler said recently that what mainly drives the multi-million dollar human trafficking trade is greed. "20 years ago, crossing from Central America to Mexico cost about 350 dollars, and possibly another 300 dollars from Mexico City to the United States," reported by Maria Corrales.

Today, smugglers can charge anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 to shepherd Central Americans via Mexico to the southern US border. "If the immigrant is a child, the price could double," Corrales says.

Besides the possibility that so-called "coyotes" may sexually abuse or rob immigrants, the former smuggler also said that traffickers will often lie to get immigrants to embark on the expensive and dangerous journey. "They’re fooling them telling them there is opportunity over here for their kids. That’s why there’s a wave of children coming, he said, indicating greedy smugglers have contributed greatly to the current influx.

Federal agents agree smugglers are an unpredictable, ruthless bunch. "You can’t trust a smuggler," Gutierrez said. "He lies to you from the beginning. He tells you it’s going to be a two to three hour walk and it turns into two or three days."

In an interview National Border Patrol Council Local chapter 3307 spokesman Albert Spratte warned that, though uncommon, Americans should be aware immigrants from countries other than Central America are being escorted into the US.

"This should be a reminder to the public," Spratte said, "that unaccompanied minors and family units are not the only ones crossing into the US illegally. On the same day, I also witnessed 3 to 4 Chinese females at the processing station. The media are concentrating on the Central American families and minors and they are not covering the fact that we are still getting people, often adult males, who are coming from other nations."

The NBPC 3307 vice president Chris Cabrera also said he believes even more foreign nationals will try to enter the US "soon" due to its current shaky footing on immigration, even more incentive for smugglers to continue at it.