LAREDO, Texas – Laredo Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Freer Station stopped a human smuggling attempt and recovered a stolen vehicle northwest of Freer, Texas.
On the early morning of June 13, agents responded to a report of maroon pickup truck trespassing through a local ranch. Agents found the locking mechanisms to the ranch gates had been cut. A short while later, agents spotted a maroon pickup truck traveling east on Highway 44 and noticed the taillights had been covered to avoid detection. The vehicle turned on County Road 401 before agents lost sight of it. Agents found the pickup truck abandoned in a nearby ranch and apprehended four undocumented individuals from Ecuador that had attempted to abscond into the brush.
A record check of the license plate revealed that the pickup truck had been reported stolen out of San Antonio. The stolen vehicle was turned over to deputies of the McMullen County Sheriff’s Office.
Smugglers often use stolen vehicles in their attempts to smuggle humans with a lack of regard for the safety of the people they exploit or another person’s property. These actions pose a threat not only to the people exploited by human smuggling, but also to the people and safety of our Nation.
Take a stand against these criminal organizations and other potentially dangerous acts by reporting suspicious activity in our neighborhoods. 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. If you see something, say something.