Actually, given what i've read about there and some of these third world areas, it's not unheard of.
Not looking at desperate very low income families. Looking at despotic tyrants appointed by American meddlers. It's far too easy for a government official to come in and blackmail a family that recently got some boon or to withhold some benefit.
Not impossible to move alot of product thru the southwest TX/NM border area. Was a truck driver a while, ran into a shit load of questionable white dudes there. Too easy to attribute illegal immigration to mexican peeps, but i'd seen too much out of place stuff.