Brownsville, Texas - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Brownsville Port of Entry intercepted 38 individuals for alleged violations of immigration law in the month of July. These alleged violations of immigration law include the interception of a man who had previously been deported after a conviction on sex-related charges, involving a child. In another case, a mother and daughter allegedly attempted to bring two undocumented children into the country without proper entry documents.
On July 3, a 22-year-old man, identified as a U.S. citizen who resides in Houston arrived at Gateway International Bridge as a pedestrian accompanied by a minor child he presented as his stepson. He provided CBP officers a birth certificate and Social Security card for the minor child. CBP officers noted discrepancies with the entry documents and referred the pedestrians for further examination. During a secondary inspection, officers utilized a CBP database and determined the birth certificate presented was not issued to the minor being inspected. CBP officers identified the child as a Mexican citizen from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico with no legal immigration documents to enter or reside in the United States.
Another significant case also took place at Gateway International Bridge on July 3 when CBP officers came in contact with a passenger in a vehicle identified as a previously deported 24-year-old Mexican citizen. A primary CBP officer's inspection of the birth certificate presented by the man resulted in a secondary referral for verification and identification of the traveler. At secondary, CBP officers' review of the birth certificate revealed the certificate did not belong to him. Upon further examination it was determined the man had been previously deported from the United States after a conviction in a case involving indecent liberties with a child from Pender County, N.C.
Two cases occurred on July 7 at Veterans' International Bridge. In two separate incidents CBP officers apprehended passengers on a commercial bus with counterfeit Guatemalan passports. CBP officers working the pedestrian walkway encountered a 44-year-old man and a 22-year-old man, both Guatemalan citizens, as they presented the counterfeit documents and requested to enter the country. CBP officers identified the men as Guatemalan citizens from San Jose del Golfo, Guatemala, with no legal immigration documents to enter or reside in the United States.
In another incident, a mother and daughter were detained when the daughter allegedly used her own children's birth certificates in an attempt to bring two undocumented Mexican citizens into the United States. On July 25, CBP officers at the Gateway International Bridge foiled an attempt to introduce the 18-year-old female and a 14-year-old male into the country by using birth certificates not issued to them. The driver of a 1996 Mazda, identified as a female 34-year-old U.S. citizen from Houston, provided CBP officers birth certificates as entry documents for her passengers. The 34-year-old's mother, a 61-year-old Mexican citizen passenger in the vehicle, also was detained.
A total of 38 cases of alleged immigration law violations occurred during the month of July. In all cases, CBP officers seized the border crossing cards, passports and birth certificates presented. The 19 women and 19 men involved were taken into custody.
"While securing our borders and guarding against terrorists and weapons of terrorism is our primary mission, our CBP officers have intercepted these 38 people allegedly attempting to enter the country by using documents not belonging to them and/or fraudulent documents. I commend our officers for their vigilance, their service and integrity as they intercepted these alleged imposters," said Michael Freeman, CBP port director, Brownsville.