EDINBURG, Texas – Rio Grande Valley agents arrest 12 illegal aliens during two failed human smuggling attempts.
On Friday, a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) trooper contacted the Rio Grande City station after he observed a failed human smuggling attempt involving a Ford Expedition. The trooper advised agents that four subjects ran south into the brush after they failed to get in the vehicle. As the agents arrived, DPS troopers attempted to stop the vehicle but the vehicle failed to yield. The pursuit led troopers onto U.S. Business 83 for a brief distance before the driver abandoned the vehicle and fled. DPS searched the area to no avail. During the pursuit, agents searched the brush and arrested the four reported illegal aliens. After interviewing them, agents determined the men were from Mexico and El Salvador.
The following morning, Weslaco agents working near Donna, Texas, observed several subjects fleeing from a parked GMC Yukon after they observed the approaching agents. Agents arrested the driver and passenger after they determined both were in the U.S. illegally. A search of the nearby brush led to the arrest of six additional illegal aliens from the countries of Guatemala and Mexico.
Border Patrol processed all subjects accordingly.
The Rio Grande Valley Sector currently has multiple campaigns focused on rescues and danger awareness, such as “Operation Big Rig” and “No Se Arriesgue” to combat smuggling and ultimately save lives. Call 911 to report suspicious activity; “They’re humans, not cargo!”
The public is encouraged to take a stand against crime in their communities and report suspicious activity at 800-863-9382.
Even with the spread of the COVID-19 virus, human smugglers continue to try these brazen attempts with zero regard for the lives they endanger nor to the health of the citizens of our great nation. The U.S. Border Patrol agents of the Rio Grande Valley Sector will continue to safeguard the nation and community against these criminal elements.
Please visit www.cbp.gov to view additional news releases and other information pertaining to Customs and Border Protection. Follow us on Twitter @CBPRGV, @USBPChiefRGV and @USBPDepChiefRGV.