Meantime, Du had an interview within the metropolis of Tapachula with a smuggler who “would take you from southern Mexico to wherever you need to be in america for US$9,000”.
Earlier than the assembly at a lodge, Nazar gave the staff recommendation on safety. For starters, he instructed Du to “attempt to follow the script and questions to debate”.
Then there was the matter of what code phrase to make use of “if we have to go — which suggests cease what you’re doing, we’re leaving, no extra questions”. They agreed on “guacamole” however, in the end, didn’t have to make use of the phrase.
From Tapachula, the crew flew to the Mexican border city of Tijuana.
“It was a home flight, however there was passport management. And (the officers) had been simply pulling all people with a Chinese language passport (apart),” recounted Du, who has bought a Hong Kong passport, with the Chinese language nationwide emblem on it.
“Then, after all, they checked out our passports with the visa stamps. They needed to allow us to go. … As we had been making our manner throughout the room, all people’s like, ‘Which smuggler did you utilize? How a lot cash did you pay?’”
