Smugglers Use Dump Trailer to Transport Migrants Around Checkpoint

EDINBURG, Texas - Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol (RGV) agents interdicted two migrant smuggling attempts within 24 hours.

On Nov. 8, a Kingsville Border Patrol Station agent observed a Chevrolet pickup truck towing a dump trailer heading west on a caliche road south of the Javier Vega Jr. U.S. Border Patrol Checkpoint. As an agent drove by the vehicle, he noticed multiple people in the cab of the truck. Without being prompted, the truck pulled to the side of the road and multiple subjects were seen fleeing into the nearby brush.

The agent on scene apprehended four migrants and requested assistance. Additional agents and a Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations helicopter assisted in 14 more apprehensions. The driver was not identified. The migrants taken into custody were identified as nationals from Central America and Mexico. The Chevrolet pickup truck was reported stolen out of Harris County (Houston) and the trailer did not have any identifiable registration.

Later that evening, an RGV agent observed suspicious activity and attempted to conduct a vehicle stop on a blue Ford F150 north of Linn. The vehicle failed to yield and led the agent on a vehicle pursuit. The F150 veered off the road through a fence and came to a stop, where multiple people were observed fleeing. A search of the immediate area resulted in the apprehension of two migrants from Honduras. The driver was not located.

All subjects were processed accordingly.

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

Please visit www.cbp.gov to view additional news releases and other information pertaining to Customs and Border Protection. Follow us on Twitter @CBPRGV and @USBPChiefRGV.