EL PASO, TEXAS—U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry recently foiled an attempt by two women to smuggle a child into the country.
On Wednesday evening, CBP officers at Eagle Pass International Bridge I inspected a taxi as it arrived from Mexico. Two women riding in the taxi were accompanied by a 3-year-old child. The passengers produced a birth certificate and documents claiming that the child was the grandson of one of the women - a 59-year-old Austin resident.
Investigation by CBP officers determined that the birth certificate, in fact, belonged to another child and the 3-year-old accompanying the two women was a girl, who is a citizen of Mexico whose parents reside there. The 59-year-old, and her traveling companion, a 54-year-old Fort Worth resident, were turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations for federal prosecution on charges of alien smuggling - 8 USC § 1324.
"This incident clearly illustrates the outstanding observational skills of our frontline CBP officers," said Cynthia O. Rodriguez, Eagle Pass port director. "Human smuggling, especially of minors and infants, is a serious violation of U.S. immigration law for which CBP has no tolerance."
The Office of Field Operations is the primary organization within U.S. Customs and Border Protection tasked with an anti-terrorism mission at our nation's ports. CBP officers screen all people, vehicles and goods entering the United States, while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. Their mission also includes carrying out border-related duties, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration and trade laws, and protecting the nation's food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases.