transcribing

i had written this in my journal while in San Jose, Costa Rica, for a stopover

I was sitting next to a guy from Panama who was going back home with his head down after failing to get into the U.S. He had bribed his way all the way up through Mexico, but was finally rejected in Tijuana, then he got deported to Guatemala where he said he was from. He speculates that the U.S. is paying commission to Mexico for each Central American they deport. The idea is to let them get up north, then stop them. This allows for maximum bribing. He tried again but only made it as far as Veracruz, so now he's heading back home to be with his wife and daughter. He had lived in California for 21 years, so had perfect English.