EDINBURG, Texas – Rio Grande Valley Sector (RGV) Border Patrol agents, along with state and local law enforcement departments, interdicted two smuggling events leading to ten arrests.
On October 28, the McAllen Border Patrol Station (MCS) received an anonymous call regarding several suspected migrants loading into a vehicle near Los Ebanos. A responding agent located the vehicle and performed a vehicle stop. The driver was determined to be a U.S. citizen and the five passengers were migrants from Central America unlawfully present in the U.S. They were arrested and the vehicle seized.
The following afternoon, an MCS camera operator observed several subjects loading into a tan GMC Envoy near Hidalgo. A CBP Air and Marine Operations helicopter responded and spotted the vehicle as it traveled into Weslaco Border Patrol Station’s Area of Operation. The vehicle came to a stop near a canal and the occupants bailed out. Agents apprehended four migrants from Mexico, El Salvador, and Honduras. The driver was not located.
All subjects were processed accordingly.
“RGV Sector continues to leverage the support of our valued law enforcement partners at the federal, state, and local level to disrupt & dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) operating within the Rio Grande Valley region,” stated RGV Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gloria I. Chavez. “Extremely proud of the work RGV Border Patrol Agents do each and every day to maintain the integrity of the border.”
The public is encouraged to take a stand against crime in their communities and to help save lives by reporting suspicious activity at 1-800-863-9382.
Please visit www.cbp.gov to view additional news releases and other information pertaining to Customs and Border Protection. Follow us on Twitter @CBPRGV and @USBPChiefRGV.