Ana Maria had to pay to enter Mexico illegally — or risk being kidnapped by ruthless criminals who have turned the migration crisis into a multibillion-dollar business.
As U.S. President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office next week with a vow to crack down hard on illegal migration, gangs are using threats and extortion to exploit those trying to arrive in time.
Gang members took photos and videos of Ana Maria and her three daughters — apparently to intimidate them — after they arrived in the Guatemalan border town of Tecun Uman on their way from their native Honduras to the United States.
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