HIDALGO, Texas—U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (OFO) at the Hidalgo International Bridge arrested a man in connection with an alleged attempt to smuggle two undocumented minors through the Hidalgo International Bridge.
“Our CBP officers thwarted this alleged child smuggling attempt thanks to their experience and excellent interview skills,” said Port Director Carlos Rodriguez, Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry.
On October 1, 2022, CBP officers assigned to the Hidalgo International Bridge encountered a male 50-year-old U.S. citizen accompanied by two minor females traveling from Mexico to the U.S. on foot. The man presented the minors as his cousins and presented U.S. birth certificates for them. During the examination, CBP officers discovered that the birth certificates did not belong to the minors, they were not U.S. citizens and they did not possess valid entry documents.
CBP OFO arrested the man and the minors, both Mexican citizens, were processed as unaccompanied undocumented noncitizens and were turned over to the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR).
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