U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents near the Texas-Mexico border disrupted five human smuggling events on Monday and Tuesday, resulting in the arrests of 20 people.
The first incident happened Monday morning in the border town of Mission, Texas. McAllen Border Patrol Station agents arrested four people who said they were in the U.S. illegally. But during processing, agents discovered that one of the subjects, a female, was actually a U.S. citizen who had lied about her identity and had prior migrant smuggling charges.
Later that morning, a Falfurrias Border Patrol Station agent witnessed several people get into a Jeep at a rest stop. Agents tried to stop the vehicle, but the driver would not yield, and a brief pursuit ensued.
Eventually, the driver stopped. Two passengers got out of the vehicle and ran into the brush. One of them was later arrested and transported to the station. The driver and another passenger – both U.S. citizens – were handed over to the Brooks County Sheriff’s Office and charged with state migrant smuggling.
Around noon Monday, Rio Grande Valley agents and deputies with the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office received a call about migrants being harbored at a hotel in McAllen. The agents and deputies arrived at the hotel and apprehended seven illegal immigrants.
And just after midnight on Tuesday, RVG agents attempted to stop two vehicles just half an hour apart from each other on U.S. Highway 281 near the community of Linn. Both incidents ended with vehicles crashing through ranch fences and fleeing the vehicles. Agents were able to apprehend six illegal immigrants, but the drivers were not located.
All subjects were processed accordingly, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a press release. No further details were given.
Source: El Vigía
