Justice Department ramping up efforts to target human smuggling at the northern US border

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Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks as U.S. Attorney of Middle District of Florida Gregory W. Kehoe, left, watches during a human smuggling news conference Thursday Sept. 4, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

TAMPA, Fla. – The U.S. Justice Department is ramping up efforts to target human smuggling operations exploiting America's northern border, officials announced Thursday, citing growing concerns about sophisticated criminal networks that transport migrants for profit expanding beyond the southern border.

The expansion of Joint Task Force Alpha , which was created in 2021 to investigate and prosecute human smuggling groups, is aimed at cracking down on operations often linked to cartels that can expose migran