1、 https:/crsreports.congress.gov Updated February 16, 2021U.S. Strategy for Engagement in Central America: An OverviewIntroduction Central America has received considerable attention from U.S. policymakers over the past decade, as it has become a major transit corridor for illicit narcotics and a top
2、 source of irregular migration to the United States. In FY2019, U.S. authorities at the southwest border apprehended nearly 608,000 unauthorized migrants from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras (the Northern Triangle of Central America); 81% of those apprehended were families or unaccompanied mino
3、rs, many of whom were seeking asylum (see Figure 1). Although the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted illicit trafficking and irregular migration flows in FY2020, many analysts expect a resurgence once governments throughout the Western Hemisphere begin lifting border restrictions
4、. Figure 1. U.S. Apprehensions of Northern Triangle Nationals at the Southwest Border: FY2011-FY2020 Sources: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, “U.S. Border Patrol Nationwide Apprehensions by Citizenship and Sector in FY2007-FY2019”; and “U.S. Border Patrol Southwest Border Apprehensions by Sector
