LAREDO, TEXAS – Border Patrol agents assigned to the Freer (FRR) and Hebbronville (HEB) Stations stopped a human smuggling attempt and recovered a stolen vehicle on Texas State Highway 359 (TX 359), east of Bruni, Texas.
The incident occurred on the morning of October 3, when FRR agents responded to a report of a dually pickup truck trespassing through a local ranch. The vehicle was reported as causing property damage as it exited a private ranch. FRR agents identified a vehicle matching its description traveling south on Farm to Market Road 2050. A records check of the license plate revealed that the pickup truck had been reported stolen. The agents attempted a vehicle stop, but the driver failed to yield and a pursuit ensued. With the assistance of HEB agents, the vehicle was ultimately stopped on TX 359, east of Bruni. One individual bailed from the vehicle, but agents quickly apprehended a U.S. citizen driver and passenger, along with 17 individuals determined to be illegally in the United States from Mexico and Guatemala. They were all placed under arrest pending further investigation by Special Agents of Homeland Security Investigations. The stolen vehicle was turned over to deputies of the Webb County Sheriff’s Office.
This incident is another example of smugglers’ lack of regard for the safety of the people they exploit for profit. Laredo Sector Chief Patrol Agent Matthew J. Hudak said, “Whether along the Rio Grande, at our checkpoints, or in the ranchlands surrounding Laredo, our agents are on the job and will continue to be vigilant in stopping smuggling activity like this. This smuggler thought that by taking remote dirt roads he could avoid us. He and many others like him are wrong and are now being prosecuted.”
The agents of the Laredo Sector are dedicated to the U.S. Border Patrol’s mission of protecting the American people, safeguarding our borders, and enhancing the Nation’s economic prosperity. 
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