EDINBURG, Texas – This weekend, U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested 17 illegal aliens in three separate smuggling attempts.
Saturday afternoon, Rio Grande Valley Sector agents received information regarding a hotel room in San Benito, Texas, used to hold illegal aliens by human smugglers. Agents and officers from the San Benito Police Department (SBPD) went to the hotel and conducted a welfare check on the occupants. Upon entry, agents and officers encountered six illegal aliens from the countries of Mexico and Honduras. All the subjects were taken into custody and transported to the station for processing.
The following morning, agents working near McCook, Texas, attempted to stop a Ford F-150 suspected of human smuggling. As the agent initiated their emergency lights, the driver refused to stop and drove through a fence into a nearby ranch. An Air and Marine Operations air asset responded to the area and assisted agents locate and arrest eight illegal aliens who had been dropped off. After an extensive search, agents located the Ford F-150 abandoned.
This morning, agents working at the Falfurrias checkpoint referred a Dodge pickup for a non-intrusive inspection. During the inspection, agents observed what appeared to be multiple subjects inside the tool box. As the agents conducted a physical inspection of the tool box, they discovered three illegal aliens inside. Agents arrested the driver and escorted all the subjects to the checkpoint for processing.
Border Patrol processed the cases and subjects accordingly.
The Rio Grande Valley Sector currently has multiple campaigns focused on rescues and danger awareness, such as “Operation Big Rig” and “No Se Arriesgue” to combat smuggling and ultimately save lives. Call 911 to report suspicious activity; “They’re humans, not cargo!”
The public is encouraged to take a stand against crime in their communities and report suspicious activity at 800-863-9382
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Even with the spread of the COVID-19 virus, human smugglers continue to try these brazen attempts with zero regard for the lives they endanger nor to the health of the citizens of our great nation. The U.S. Border Patrol agents of the Rio Grande Valley Sector will continue to safeguard the nation and community against these criminal elements.
Please visit www.cbp.gov to view additional news releases and other information pertaining to Customs and Border Protection. Follow us on Twitter @CBPRGV, @USBPChiefRGV and @USBPDepChiefRGV.
~CBP~