Human TraffickingMigrationNews

22 Migrants Discovered Abandoned in Utility Trailer

 Rio Grande Valley Sector (RGV) Border Patrol agents apprehend 37 migrants from two failed smuggling attempts and a stash house.      

On October 20, Weslaco Border Patrol agents received a call for assistance from the Pharr Police Department (PPD) regarding migrants encountered during a smuggling event. PPD advised they had received a call regarding a trailer suspected of being used to smuggle migrants. When authorities arrived at the location, the vehicle was abandoned, and a search of the utility trailer revealed a total of 22 migrants all determined to be illegally present in the U.S. All the migrants were in good health and the driver was not located.  

That afternoon, RGV agents, with assistance from the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office, apprehended four subjects in a human smuggling stash house in Mission. Agents identified all subjects to be illegally present in the U.S. The subjects were citizens of Mexico. No caretaker was identified.   

On October 19, RGV agents working near Falcon Heights, Texas initiated a traffic stop on a Chevrolet Trailblazer. The driver refused to stop, and a pursuit ensued until the driver crashed into a fence and several subjects fled the vehicle. A search of the immediate area resulted in the apprehension of six migrants. The driver was not located. 

Hours later, Rio Grande City Border Patrol agents with the assistance of the Starr County Sheriff’s Office, attempted a vehicle stop on a white GMC Acadia suspected of transporting migrants near Rio Grande City. When law enforcement officials turned on their emergency equipment, the driver veered off the road and crashed into a tree. The occupants absconded from the vehicle. Agents apprehended five migrants who were determined to be illegally present in the U.S.  No injuries were reported, and the driver was not located. 

All subjects were processed accordingly