EDINBURG, Texas – Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Sector Border Patrol agents disrupted four migrant smuggling attempts that resulted in 73 arrests. A migrant smuggler collided with a school bus, occupied by only the bus driver, while attempting to evade arrest.
On Feb. 7, Rio Grande City Border Patrol Station (RGC) agents observed and relayed numerous subjects loaded into a vehicle in Fronton, Texas, and departed the area. Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers attempted to conduct a vehicle stop and were led on a vehicle pursuit. Responding agents and troopers apprehended the United States citizen driver and four migrants unlawfully in the U.S. near Roma after the vehicle came to a stop and the occupants fled. During the pursuit, the suspected smuggler collided with a school bus. Only the bus driver was aboard the bus at the time of the incident and the driver did not require medical attention. DPS took custody of the driver to charge him with evading arrest, failure to report an accident, and smuggling of people.
On Feb. 8, RGV agents received information regarding a McAllen, Texas, residence suspected of being used as a human smuggling stash house. Agents and Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the location and encountered 48 migrants from Mexico and Central America unlawfully in the U.S. No caretaker was identified.
At the same time, RGV agents observed a vehicle drive through a gate behind a restaurant in Encino, Texas. When agents discovered the vehicle stopped nearby, they observed several subjects fleeing into the surrounding brush. The vehicle caught fire, which the agents extinguished and notified the fire department. A search of the area resulted in 10 migrant apprehensions. The driver was not located.
On Feb. 9, RGV agents conducted a vehicle stop on a Ford F250 pickup truck near Linn, Texas. When the vehicle came to a stop, the agent observed four subjects abscond from the vehicle into the brush. Agents apprehended ten subjects in and near the vehicle unlawfully in the U.S. from Mexico and Guatemala, to include a 16-year-old unaccompanied juvenile. The driver was not located.
All subjects are being processed accordingly.
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~CBP~
