CBP - U.S. Customs and Border Protection

06/17/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/17/2021 15:17

Suspected Smuggler Rescued in Rio Grande

EDINBURG, Texas - Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol Sector (RGV) intercepts four smuggling attempts resulting in 54 apprehensions.

Yesterday morning, Weslaco Border Patrol Station agents received information regarding migrants being harbored in a Mercedes, Texas, hotel. Agents and Mercedes Police Department officers approached the room door and encountered two Honduran females, illegally present in the United States. No caretaker was identified.

Simultaneously, Weslaco Border Patrol Station agents alongside Edinburg Police Department officers approached an Edinburg, Texas, hotel suspected of harboring illegally present migrants. Six migrants were apprehended from several rooms, including two possible caretakers.

Yesterday afternoon, United States Coast Guard riverine units working near Mission, Texas, encountered a raft with four subjects making its way to the United States' riverbanks. The migrants quickly jumped off the raft in order to avoid apprehension. The suspected smuggler began to submerge under water and began yelling for help. Coast Guard crewmen were able to recover the Mexican national and turn him over to Border Patrol agents. McAllen Border Patrol Station agents working in the nearby brush, apprehended the three outstanding migrants that absconded from the raft.

Additionally, 42 subjects were discovered in a Mission, Texas, residence utilized as a human smuggling stash house.

Border Patrol processed all subjects accordingly.

The public is encouraged to take a stand against crime in their communities and report suspicious activity at 800-863-9382.

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~