LAREDO, TEXAS – Border Patrol agents assigned to the Hebbronville Station found a horse trailer being used for human smuggling after law enforcement partners conducted a vehicle stop near Hebbronville, Texas.
The incident occurred during the morning of July 21, when the Jim Hogg County Sheriff’s Office (JHSCO) requested assistance with a vehicle stop involving a pick-up truck hauling a horse trailer on Farm to Market Road 3073. JHSCO deputies had found 17 individuals inside the horse trailer while others had absconded from the vehicle into the nearby brush. Responding agents apprehended four additional individuals hiding in the brush. The 21 undocumented individuals taken into custody were from the countries of Mexico, El Salvador, and Honduras and were processed accordingly. JHSCO took custody of the truck and trailer.
Despite the threat of COVID-19 to the people of our communities, human smugglers continue to show a brazen disregard for human life by using dangerous methods in their smuggling attempts. Border Patrol agents continue to protect our Nation’s borders by preventing the flow of illegal immigration and targeting transnational criminal organizations.
To report suspicious activity such as human and/or drug smuggling, download the “USBP Laredo Sector” App or contact the Laredo Sector Border Patrol toll free at 1-800-343-1994.