WESLACO – Travel to Mexico is popular this time of year but something is different now, according to a former FBI agent.  

Art Fontes says cartels profits are taking a hit.

"The immigrants are piling up at the border. They're not able to cross, and the people that do cross, it's just very limited,” Fontes explains.

He says this buildup at the border means financial trouble for criminal gangs who rely on smuggling routes.  

"You have cartels that are losing a lot of money each day that it goes by. It's something that's never seen before… When you have a border that's basically sealed and you have security on our highways on the U.S. side," he says.

He says to make up that monetary loss, cartels may try to take advantage of travelers.

KRGV’s Christian von Preysing has the details.

Watch the video above for the full story.