bajadero
n.— «Since the black market abhors a vacuum, it was perhaps inevitable that the border would see the rise of the bajadero—loosely translated, a chicken-stealing member of the underworld, who makes money kidnapping illegal immigrants from their smugglers, holding them for ransom and in the worst case killing them if not paid promptly.» —“After the Crossing, Danger to Migrants Isn’t Over” by Charlie LeDuff in Phoenix, Arz. New York Times Nov. 11, 2003. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Trivia time! Where in the United States can you visit Soda City? If you answered Columbia, South Carolina, you’re right! This nickname apparently derives from an old practice of abbreviating Columbia as Cola. The locals then referred to the town as...
