Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen warned Sunday that the illegal immigrant caravan heading toward the U.S. could be exploited by cartels that control most of the illegal flow of people through Latin America.

Ms. Nielsen also praised the efforts of Mexico and Central American governments she said are working with the U.S. to try to contain the caravan, rather than enable it.

Warnings of a get-tough policy from U.S. officials have done little to deter the migrants, who for years have seen relatives and neighbors easily jump the border to enter the U.S. with little consequence. The ease of entering is a selling point for the cartels, who control the drug and human smuggling routes into the U.S. and require payment of a "mafia fee" just to cross the U.S.-Mexico boundary line.

Court records show that fee typically runs from $1,000 to $2,000. That doesn't include thousands of dollars in other fees that cover foot guides, drivers, stash houses and the rest of the illegal journey.

"While we closely monitor the caravan crisis, we must remain mindful of the transnational criminal organizations and other criminals that prey on the vulnerabilities of those undertaking the irregular migration journey," Mr. Nielsen said in a statement Sunday.

According to a Univision correspondent, Bangladeshis joined the migrant caravan before it crossed from Guatemala into Mexico.

The Daily Caller reported:

A Spanish language reporter who has spent weeks embedded with the migrant caravan said in a Friday report that people from Bangladesh had joined the mass of people trying to cross from Guatemala into Mexico.

The Bangladeshis, he said, were detained in an immigration facility, though it's not clear what happened to them after their detention.

This is especially troubling because Bangladesh has one of the largest Muslim populations in the world with a very high rate of Islamic terrorism and barbarism.

Also, according to Judicial Watch, who has a reporter embedded in Guatemala, migrants from Haiti, Congo, Sri Lanka, Angola, Cameroon, and Bangladesh latched onto the caravan.

Approximately 1,700 migrants turned around Monday back into Honduras at one checkpoint (Chiquimula), coming in on buses, said Tom Fitton

"We have got to have the DOJ investigate where the funding is coming from to send these thousands and thousands of people to the U.S., because that you can use RICO to go after them," the Texas Republican told Fox News' "America's Newsroom." "Asylum claims are not legitimate if they are not made in the, if we're not the first country they come to after leaving their country."

He added that there were "supposedly" political factors that got the caravan started, and then it took on an "inertia on its own."

"There is money coming in," he said. "I'm sure there is some coming from the United States going to help this caravan along. It is building of its own momentum and it will take a very strong president, which we have, to stop it and we've got to make clear to Mexico they are not coming in." Video.

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