Brownsville, Texas - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Brownsville Port of Entry intercepted five individuals for alleged violations of immigration law, including two Houston women who presented false documents for a minor male child in an attempt to bring a Mexican child into the country.
The first incident occurred on Tuesday, April 20 at Veteran's International Bridge when a 38-year-old female and a 41-year-old female attempted to bring into the country a minor male child as a U.S. citizen. At CBP primary the driver presented a birth certificate for the minor child. A primary CBP officer noted discrepancies with the birth certificate and referred the subjects for secondary inspection. In secondary, officers used a CBP database and discovered that the birth certificate was not issued to the person for whom it was presented. CBP officers determined the minor child to be a Mexican citizen with no legal immigration documents to enter or reside in the United States.
The second case, took place at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge. On April 20 a male identified as a 29-year-old presented a laser visa as an entry document. A primary CBP officer's interview revealed the man to be a Mexican citizen and an alleged imposter. The visa presented was not in the name of the man attempting to use it as his own entry document.
In the third case, a 39-year-old female applied for admission into the United States on Thursday, April 22 by presenting a laser visa at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge. A primary CBP officer noted discrepancies to the laser visa and referred the female pedestrian to secondary for further examination. In secondary, checks of a national data system revealed the laser visa was issued to another person and not the woman presenting it as her own entry document.
In all cases, CBP officers seized the documents; the three women and one man were taken into custody and charged with immigration violations. The minor child was safely returned to his mother in Mexico.
"CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country and in the course of enforcing U.S. immigration laws, our CBP officers have prevented these undocumented persons from entering the country. I congratulate our officers for their work in intercepting these alleged imposters," said Michael Freeman, CBP port director, Brownsville.